Emily Bridges ‘dumped by email’ as British Cycling suspends transgender policy

Emily Bridges’ mum says her daughter has been “dumped by email” after British Cycling suspended its transgender participation policy.

Bridges, who came out as transgender in 2020, had been allowed to compete in women’s events by the national governing body after demonstrating that her testosterone levels had been reduced to the required limits.

She had been due to compete in last weekend’s National Omnium Championships in Derby until the sport’s world governing body, the UCI, blocked her participation because it has not yet deemed her eligible to race in international competitions.

Natal female athletes had been considering boycotting the Championships if Bridges had been allowed to compete, and British Cycling’s head of Olympic programmes Sara Symington co-signed a letter to the UCI earlier this week criticising its current policy on transgender inclusion. The letter signatories claimed the UCI’s current rules do not guarantee female athletes fair and meaningful competition.

British Cycling confirmed on Friday that its policy – which was only ratified in January – was now suspended pending a review.

Bridges’ mum Sandy Sullivan tweeted the British Cycling statement and added: “Dumped by email. We’ve just received this in our inbox. We will be making a statement at some point during the next 24 hrs.”

The governing body said on Friday: “While the current policy was created following an extensive external and internal consultation, the review will allow us time for further discussion with all stakeholders, including women and the transgender and non-binary communities, as we strive to provide all within our sport with the clarity and understanding they deserve.

“As an organisation we remain committed to ensuring that