Olympic cycling champ slams umpires over Austin Killips controversy

Olympic cyclist Inga Thompson says controversial trans rider Austin Killips got away with shoving biological female rival during race because umpires were too scared to punish her

• Austin Killips, 27, who was born biologically male, was seen seemingly trying to push female cyclist Hannah Arensman off the race course during the UCI Cyclocross National Championships in December 2022
• Now former Olympic cycling champion Inga Thompson has claimed she was not immediately disqualified because the umpires were too afraid of being labelled ‘transphobic’ 

Former Olympic cycling champion Inga Thompson has claimed controversial trans cyclist Ausin Killips was not immediately disqualified after appearing to shove another rider out of the way because the umpires were too afraid of being labelled ‘transphobic’. 

Austin Killips, 27, who was born male, was seen seemingly trying to push female cyclist Hannah Arensman off the race course during the UCI Cyclocross National Championships in December 2022.

Speaking on the ‘Gaines for Girls’ podcast, hosted by former NVAA swimmer Riley Gaines, Thompson said of the incident: ‘If a woman had done that to another woman or if a man had done that to another man, every official out there has told me, is an automatic disqualification.

‘It shows again the preference is going to the transgender women in the sport, no official wanted to touch it because they were going to get labeled as transphobic and then they had maybe some sanctions coming after them’ she explained. 

At the time Arensman, who had been shoved, said: ‘I fully expect that in cycling, as a full-body contact sport, you’re going to get hit at some point.

Transgender woman cyclist Austin Killips, 27, won a women’s race in North Carolina this weekend five minutes ahead of the runner-up

In a competition from December 2022, Killips, seen in white, was seen trying to push female cyclist Hannah Arensman off the race course during the UCI Cyclocross National Championships

‘But when you have someone born a man run into you, over 6ft tall, it’s quite different. I tried to keep racing, not to let it get into my head at all. That one instance caught on video felt unnecessary, though.’ 

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world governing body of cycling, now prohibits transgender cyclists who ‘transitioned after (male) puberty’ from participating in women’s events.

However, the presence of trans women in the sport has led to some athletes bowing out all together, including Arensman. 

The 35-time winner on the national cyclocross circuit, retired from the sport in March after stating ‘I lose no matter how hard I train’ when trans athletes are in the field. 

Arensmen said: ‘I was born into a family of athletes. Encouraged by my parents and siblings, I competed in sports from a young age, and I followed in my sister’s footsteps, climbing the ranks to become an elite cyclocross racer.

‘Over the past few years, I have had to race directly with male cyclists in women’s events.

‘As this has become more of a reality, it has become increasingly discouraging to train as hard as I do only to have to lose to a man with the unfair advantage of an androgenized body that intrinsically gives him an obvious advantage over me, no matter how hard I train.

‘I have decided to end my cycling career. At my last race at the recent UCI Cyclocross National Championships in the elite women’s category in December 2022, I came in 4th place, flanked on either side by male riders awarded 3rd and 5th places.

Hannah Arensman, 24, quit cyclocross after losing out to a trans rider for a podium spot at the national championships in December 2022

Riley Gaines, seen on April 19 lobbying against a trans sports bill in North Carolina, criticized Ryan and Barrett for taking part in the 1,600m track race

Trans rider Austin Killips beat Arensman to a podium place at the 2022 National Cyclocross Championships in December

Austin Killips pictured on the podium after the women’s elite race of the ‘Kasteelcross’ cyclocross cycling event, race 7/8 in the ‘Exact Cross’ competition, Saturday 21 January 2023 in Zonnebeke, Belgium

Killips has continued to cause controversy after winning the Belgian Waffle Ride cycling event in North Carolina in June, beating her crestfallen rival by five whole minutes.

By the 13th mile mark, Killips was out in front while female riders Paige Onweller and Flavia Oliveira had to settle for second and third place respectively. 

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