Sport icons call for female-only sports, citing safety and fairness concern

Sporting legends Martina Navratilova, Sharron Davies and Daley Thompson have called for all women’s sport to be restricted to biological females.

They warned that gender ideology is compromising the safety and fairness of women and girls in grassroots sport.

Failure to act risks alienating a generation of young female athletes, they said.

The three former sports stars gave their backing to a new report today that calls on National Governing Bodies, the Government and the International Olympic Committee to enforce restrictions.

The Policy Exchange study highlights that 99.99 per cent of athletes participating in sport and physical activity are not elite or professional.

It argues the problem of males competing in the female category is much more likely to affect these women and girls – an issue sports policymakers have failed to recognise.  

In a Foreword to the report, British Swimming Olympic Medallist Ms Davies, wrote: “Every sport, at every level, from grassroots to elite, must ensure that the female category is ringfenced for biological females.”

“I have dedicated my life to challenging the injustice I experienced as a young athlete and will continue to do so until facts once again trump feelings.”

The report uses eye-witness accounts along with a comprehensive analysis of sporting records at club, county and other amateur and grassroot levels, to document the physical advantage in sports that biological males possess over women and girls.

Some of the key findings show that the winning female from the London Marathon 2023 would be beaten by the 231st ranking male.  

Every British long course swimming record broken by an elite female swimmer has been beaten by a teenage boy.  

And the top male serve at Wimbledon Tennis Championships 2023 is at least 18 miles per hour faster than the top female serve.

Former World No 1 female tennis player and 18-time Grand Slam Champion Martina Navratilova, said the report demonstrates the “scale of male advantage” in sport from elite to grassroots level.”

“Female sport must be protected otherwise we risk not only alienating a generation of women, but also taking away dreams and possibilities of fairness and winning for girls and women,” she said.

“It is time for all National Governing Bodies, International Federations and the International Olympic Committee to protect women’s sport from grassroots upwards.”

Double Olympic Decathlon gold-medallist, Mr Thompson, said: “We risk alienating a generation of young female athletes if we cannot promise them fair and safe play from the grassroots level to the top.”

“Categories exist to allow everyone the chance to participate, and the willingness to compromise this by policymakers within sport is a scandal. The new county data revealed within this Policy Exchange report make it clear that males should never be in the female category – at any level. It is vital that sports policy recognises that participation, as well as fairness and safety, is vital to encouraging female sport in this country.”

The “Levelling the Playing Field” report makes nine recommendations, including that women and girls must have a protected single-sex category restricted to biological females at every level of sport.

It calls on the International Olympic Committee to replace its current guidelines regarding female eligibility to restrict the female category to biological females within the Olympic Movement.  

The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) must require all National Governing Bodies, within 12 months, to update their policies to ensure there is a protected female single-sex category.
This should be made a condition of funding, with taxpayers’ funding withdrawn from those that do not protect female same-sex sport.
Sport England must inform parkrun that it is to collect participant data based on biological sex, not gender identity.
Parkrun must update all relevant course records to reflect this. If this does not happen within 12 months, taxpayers’ funding should be withdrawn.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “I agree with the UK Sports Councils who concluded that balancing transgender inclusion, safety and fairness at all times is not possible in every sport. Self-identification cannot be reconciled with competitive fairness in every sport.”

“Sport must be open to everyone and we are working closely with national governing bodies on a way forward that is compassionate for all, whilst maintaining the integrity of competition.”

“While it is for sports to set their own rules we have seen cycling, swimming, athletics, Rugby Union and others take the lead in prioritising fairness at all competitive affiliated events, and I would encourage all sports to look into this issue.”