'There's just way too much advantage': Australian athletics champion speaks out after transgender woman who used to be called Craig wins top track competition

  • Cece Telfer sprinted to victory at the national championships in 400m hurdles 
  • As recently as January 2018, she competed for her school in the men's division 
  • Athlete Tamsyn Manou says Ms Telfer has an unfair advantage biologically

By Brittany Chain For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Ms Telfer (pictured) grew up as Craig before her gender reassignment surgery

Ms Telfer (pictured) grew up as Craig before her gender reassignment surgery

An Australian running champ has slammed transgender athletes who take part in women's events because they have 'way too much advantage'.

Athletics champion Tamsyn Manou, who won three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, said she finds the practice concerning.

Her comments come after American collegiate athlete Cece Telfer sprinted to victory at the national championships in 400m hurdles last Saturday.

Ms Telfer grew up as Craig, and underwent gender reassignment surgery in the last year. 

But Ms Manou told Ben Fordham she thinks the title is unfair and falls into a 'concerning grey area'. 

She said the female category in elite sports is currently vulnerable and not being protected enough to ensure a fair and even competition.   

Australian running champ Tamsyn Manou (above) says Telfer's 2019 title is unfair and falls into a 'concerning gray area' that needs to be addressed in the athletic community

Athletics champion and three time gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games, Tamsyn Manou, said she finds the practice concerning

'I think that it's important that people understand it's not about gender identity. This is an issue that is surrounding what you were born as, biologically what your sex is.

'There is just way too much advantage with a male competing against a female.'

Sporting star Jane Flemming also added to the conversation, saying the genetic make up of a person born as a man puts them at an unfair advantage to someone born as a woman.

In particular, she said men have increased oxygenisation of the blood and substantially more bone strength.

By the 2019 heat, Ms Telfer managed to win gold by an entire second, making her Franklin Pierce University's first gold medalist in the event

By the 2019 heat, Ms Telfer managed to win gold by an entire second, making her Franklin Pierce University's first gold medalist in the event

Ms Telfer was competing for her school in the male division as recently as January 2018.

In the 2016-2017 season, still competing as Craig, Ms Telfer was not even in the top 200 male athletes in her event.

By the 2019 heat, she managed to win gold by an entire second, making her Franklin Pierce University's first gold medalist in the event. 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association's Transgender Handbook says there is no evidence that supports transgender women having a competitive advantage.  

'According to medical experts on this issue, the assumption that a transgender woman competing on a women's team would have a competitive advantage outside the range of performance and competitive advantage or disadvantage that already exists among female athletes is not supported by evidence,' it reads. 

Ms Manou said the female category in elite sports is currently vulnerable and not being protected enough to ensure a fair and even competition

Ms Manou said the female category in elite sports is currently vulnerable and not being protected enough to ensure a fair and even competition

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