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So much for being a good sport.
After an Illinois woman came to the defence of two trans competitors that had bested her in a cycling competition, she has been called out by Riley Gaines.
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Kristin Chalmers finished third at the Illinois State Cyclocross Championships earlier this month, losing out to Tessa Johnson and Evelyn Williamson, who were both born male.
After the competition, Chalmers — along with other participants — signed a letter of support for Johnson and Williamson, who came under fire for taking podium spots from biological female competitors.
Gaines, a contributor to American conservative sports news website OutKick, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Chalmers was a “traitor to women.”
“Why is it so often women applauding their own erasure? Chalmers may claim she’s fine losing to men, but female athletes like her don’t have the right to willingly surrender the integrity of competition for everyone,” Gaines said.
“The majority of female athletes believe women deserve respect and fair competition. She is a traitor to ethical and fair sport. And she’s a traitor to women.”
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In the letter, Chalmers and other cyclists called the controversy “manufactured.”
“We refuse to be falsely presented as victims in a manufactured controversy driven to further alienate and marginalize those most vulnerable within our community, in service of rampant and harmful anti-LGBTQ+ legislation,” the letter read according to NBC. “We speak for ourselves: inclusion makes our sport and community stronger. Everyone is welcome here. Trans women are women.”
The event’s organizer, Chicago CrossCup, says on its website that it follows USA Cycling’s Transgender Athlete Participation policies for all of its races.
“Discrimination or harassment of any kind on the basis of race, colour, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification … or any other stupid idea someone comes up with to belittle others will not be tolerated at CCC events and may result in disqualification and/or being asked to leave,” the website reads.
Gaines has been a prominent figure in the fight to outlaw trans women from competing in sport against biological women. During her career as a collegiate swimmer, Gaines tied for fifth at the 2022 NCAA freestyle championship with Lia Thomas – who later became the first openly trans woman to win an NCAA title.
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