A transgender varsity fencer who transitioned to her university’s women’s team has won gold at a prestigious competition.
Redmond Sullivan won the top prize at the Junior Olympic Qualifiers in the Connecticut Division last weekend.
The Junior Olympic Games Fencing is an annual competition for American athletes under the age of 20 who compete for a national title.
Sullivan was transferred to the Wagner College women’s team this year after previously competing in the men’s division.
It comes after she competed in track and field events for the girls’ teams at Daniel Hand High School in Madison, Connecticut.
The transfer has been criticized by tennis legend Martina Navratilova and the Independent Council on Women’s Sport (ICONs).
Navratilova, who is gay, has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports, saying they have an unfair advantage.
“And again…” she wrote in a post on X, referring to a Reduxx report on Sullivan.
Varsity fencer Redmond Sullivan took gold at the Connecticut Division Junior Olympic Qualifiers last weekend
Sullivan moved from Wagner College’s men’s team to the women’s team this year
ICONS co-founder Marshi Smith also criticized the New York City College’s decision.
“The NCAA repeatedly rewards replacements for women to support men in women’s sports,” Smith told the newspaper.
“This continued pattern of discrimination is why we support a female athlete’s lawsuit against the organization.
‘Legal action is necessary to hold the National AA accountable for its repeated failure to uphold fairness and equality in women’s sport, with fencing being a particularly disturbing example.’
On its website, Wagner College states that it “strives to create inclusive and supportive environments for LGBTQIA+ students.”
When contacted, head fencing coach David Sierra referred to the university’s media team, which did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Sullivan placed first of six competitors at the Junior Women’s Foil event in Newtown, Connecticut, on Sunday.
The win gave her a ranking of E24 per Screen tracker. In the sport, fencers are ranked from A (highest) to E (lowest).
Tennis star Martina Navratilova was among those who spoke about the decision to have Sullivan compete on a team that matched her gender
Before that, Sullivan was ranked 48th out of 50 in a Division I women’s foil event and 31st out of 36th in a Division II event.
Last year, Sullivan competed for the men’s team and placed 29th in a men’s foil event. DailyMail.com has contacted her for comment.
Trans inclusivity in sports has become a hot topic since President Joe Biden expanded Title IX protections to transgender people in 2021.
The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex for any education program that receives federal funding.
President-elect Donald Trump has since promised to roll back the protections.
The debate over transgender women in sports largely centers on whether going through puberty as a male confers advantages that biological female athletes do not have.
Many sports organizations say that trans women must have been in treatment for a certain amount of time and have their testosterone levels reduced to a certain level before they are eligible to compete.
Advocates for trans athletes say transgender people are a small, vulnerable population and that the number of trans athletes is small.