Former British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies strongly criticized CeCe Telfer’s recent involvement in a women’s track meet in the US by labeling it as “simply cheating.”
Davies directed her criticism towards Telfer after a photo of Telfer preparing to compete in the invitational 60-meter hurdles race at Boston University surfaced on social media.
Expressing her stance, Davies tweeted a photo of Telfer at the starting line with her fellow competitors. She captioned the post: “Spot the male athlete in the women’s race! It’s simply cheating”
CeCe Telfer made history as the first transgender woman to win a National Collegiate Athletic Association title in 2019. She qualified for the final of the Boston event but was later disqualified due to a false start, as indicated by online result records.
Following the Independent Council on Women’s Sports’ tweet featuring the sprinter warming up for the race with the other hurdlers, Davies responded to Telfer’s entry.
The tweet read: “Telfer, the first openly trans-identifying male to win a women’s NCAA national title in the 400m hurdles (2019), ran unattached. After bumping a female athlete out of the finals, he later disqualified himself during the race”
Sharron Davies won a silver medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and has emerged as a prominent critic of transgender women competing in women’s athletic events. She has consistently voiced her concerns about the fairness of such participation.
In her recent flurry of tweets, Davies reiterated her commitment to advocating for sporting equality and fair competition for females. She talked about her dedication to battling for equal rights and opportunities in sports, emphasizing the need for a level playing field.
Davies wrote: “Warning – NOT AN APRIL FOOLS. Today like every other day for the past 8 years I still believe (as do most people) that men/boys who choose to identify as women/girls have an unfair biological advantage in sport (proved by peer reviewed science) which equates to cheating biological females (that’s 51% of us) out of our equal rights of sporting opportunities, very much a career choice today, supposedly protected by sex discrimination law here in the UK.”
Sharron Davies’ outspoken criticism of CeCe Telfer’s participation in women’s sports events reflects broader debates surrounding transgender athletes’ inclusion in competitive sports. As discussions on fairness, equality, and biological advantages continue, Davies remains steadfast in her advocacy for ensuring fair and equitable opportunities for all female athletes.