US transgender runner CeCe Telfer has sparked public uproar after she became a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) track champion, winning the women’s 400m hurdles title.
Telfer finished the course with a time of 57.53s, with the second place runner lagging behind with a time of 59.21s.
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Almost all fans, however, were quick to accuse Tefler of having an “unfair” advantage, insisting that she should be stopped from competing against women.
One Twitter user went so far as to call Telfer a “smart guy” who “found the loophole in the system”.
Some users called for creation of a special division introduced for transgender athletes so that fair competition in sport can be ensured.
NCAA guidelines stipulate that male athletes are eligible to compete as women if they suppress their testosterone levels for a full calendar year.
Telfer's couch Emerson, for his part, said that she has been “incredibly motivated this year and I think the transition one million percent had something to do with that”.
“It's like night and day as far as what she was willing to do as an athlete and how committed she was”, he added.