CeCé Telfer, the openly transgender NCAA track-and-field title winner who trains in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, has been disqualified from the current 2021 Olympic trials, where she had previously been accepted to compete in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.
Previously, “Telfer competed for the men’s team at Division II Franklin Pierce [in Rindge, New Hampshire], but took time off, then came back to compete for the women’s team. In 2019, Telfer won the NCAA title,” reports the Boston Globe, which explains that:
Telfer was entered in this week’s trials but was ultimately not allowed to compete because of guidelines World Athletics released in 2019 that closed off international women’s events of between 400 meters and a mile to athletes who did not meet the eligibility requirements. Among those requirements was that their testosterone levels had to be below 5 nonomoles per liter (nmol/L) for a span of 12 months.
Telfer’s manager, David McFarland, said Telfer would respect the decision.
“CeCe has turned her focus towards the future and is continuing to train. She will compete on the national — and world — stage again soon,” McFarland said.
USATF said in a statement that in order for athletes to be eligible for the trials, they must meet the requirements to be a member of the U.S. Olympic team, and that eligibility for the Olympics is governed by World Athletics. …
In its statement, USATF said it “strongly supports inclusivity and providing a clear path to participation in the sport for all, while also maintaining competitive fairness.”
“If CeCe meets the conditions for transgender athlete participation in the future, we wholeheartedly back her participation in international events as a member of Team USATF,” the statement said.
Not a subscriber? Sign up today for a free subscription to Boston Spirit magazine, New England’s premier LGBT magazine. We will send you a copy of Boston Spirit 6 times per year and we never sell/rent our subscriber information. Click HERE to sign up!
