Triathlon Federation continues to allow trans women, unlike other sports

The World Triathlon Federation allows transgender women to continue to participate in women's competitions. While there are new, stricter rules, they don't go nearly as far as recent decisions by other sports federations.
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According to the union, the new rules provide a combination of "inclusiveness" and "fairness". Trans women are allowed to continue participating, provided their testosterone levels are not too high for two years. They are also only allowed to participate in competitions four years after their transition. Both rules now have a term of one year, reports The Guardian.

The rules only apply to international competitions. National associations may draw up their own conditions for participation. The British federation, for example, excludes transgender athletes from women's competitions. Instead, the British are starting an "open competition" in which no distinction is made between sex and gender.

International rules are relatively lenient compared to swimming and rugby, for example. In those sports, the rules have been tightened to such an extent that trans women can hardly or not participate at all. Opponents of more inclusive competitions point out that trans women would have a physical advantage.

In the US and the UK in particular, there is a heated debate about "women's rights" in sport, which excludes transgender people. For example, the International Cycling Federation decided to admit trans women subject to strict conditions, but the British association prohibits the participation of trans women in national competitions.

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