“At no time did any rider report any concern to us or protest [against] these results,” the post said. “We have confirmed that the age group winner has undergone all required surgeries and treatments to transition from a man to a woman and would thereby qualify as a woman racer under both USA Cycling and International Olympic Committee rules."
No shit Sherlock!
What woman in cycling is going to voice her honest opinion when Inga Thompson just lost her position for doing so? What woman athlete would not have seen what happened to Riley Gaines recently? The monstering, the vilification and the loss of opportunity and community is a very real threat and may be a certainty in some sports.
The chilling effect is clear. I suspect all women in sport are fully aware of the impact of speaking the truth and will absolutely not allow any hint of disagreement show until the regulations change and even then they may never let it be known.
Yet activists will cling to ‘no protests’ or ‘no concerns raised’ to keep women in line. Of course women will not protest or raise concerns when the regulations are clear and published before the event. Doesn’t mean they agree politically with them.
It just means they will have to agree to race within the regulations as events happen and seek to have these regulations changed for future events.