Who is Tiffany Thomas? Outrage after trans cyclist CRUSHES competition in women's cycling race
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: In the midst of ongoing discussions regarding the participation of trans athletes in women sports, a transgender cyclist took first place in a female race in New York City. Tiffany Thomas, 46, who was born a man, won Randall's Island Crit cycling competition by crushing the field and taking first place.
Tiffany only started cycling in 2018, yet she was immediately successful and has since dominated events. Her newest position is with the elite cycling team LA Sweat, where the oldest member of the team is only 32 years old.
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'A great day to play bikes with friends'
But some detractors and rival athletes are angry with Thomas because of how often she wins, and they wonder if she has an unfair advantage in women's sports. Following her most recent victory, Thomas wrote on Instagram that it had been "a great day to play bikes with friends." "Last race with our 2022 LA Sweat team kit. I’m not going to lie, sometimes it made me feel like a superhero when I wore it," she continued in a different post.
According to her Instagram, Thomas is a lab director. She is referred to as "a scientist by day, athlete by night" on her LA Sweat team profile. "You will never see anyone with a bigger smile than when she sees a beautiful electron microscopy picture of a red cell," the biography continues. "She has never met a barbell, a bike, or a dog that she doesn’t like. She is so incredibly excited to race and represent the LA Sweat team this year!"
'We are destroying woman's rights in America'
Thomas posted pictures of herself on social media congratulating herself on her victory, but some online have criticized her, with one female cyclist stating that she thinks Thomas is "cheating." "Tiffany's teammates are all between the ages of 24 and 32. Amazing that Tiffany can keep up with them at the age of 46 after only starting cycling at age 40!" one user said. "Tiffany Thomas has been on countless podiums, going from a total beginner to the elite level in just 5 years," added another.
"I feel so bad for woman athletes in America that have trained their entire lives," said another critic. "We are destroying woman's rights in America. They might as well just make every sport in this country co-ed. This is all so unfair. Every should live the way they want but there are sacrifices."
'My sister and family sobbed as they watched a man finish in front of me'
Hannah Arensman, a former champion cyclist who lost out on a podium spot to a trans athlete recently, announced her retirement from the sport as a result of the recent increase in transgender athletes competing in women's cycling. "At my last race at the recent UCI Cyclocross National Championships in the elite women's category, I came in fourth, flanked on either side by male riders awarded third and fifth," she said in her retirement announcement. "My sister and family sobbed as they watched a man finish in front of me, having witnessed several physical interactions with him throughout the race."