Wimbledon and BBC legend Sue Barker has backed calls to ban self-identifying trans women from competing against biological women in sport.
The television presenter has revealed that she agrees with former tennis player Martina Navratilova and affirms that “young girls’ dreams” are at stake.
Navratilova, a nine-time Wimbledon singles champion, has been one of the staunchest opponents of allowing transgender competitors to participate in women’s sports, describing them as “failed male athletes.”
He now has the backing of Barker, 73, who won the French Open in 1976 and presented the BBC’s Wimbledon television coverage for 30 years, until 2022.
His comments come after controversies over transgender female participants such as American swimmer Lia Thomas, Welsh cyclist Emily Bridges and Dutch darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven.
Former tennis champion and BBC Wimbledon presenter Sue Barker has said she agrees with Martina Navratilova over the participation of transgender competitors in women’s sport.
Martina Navratilova, pictured at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid last month, criticized transgender competitors as “failed male athletes”.
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas (left) appears alongside Riley Gaines after finishing tied for fifth in a 200m freestyle final in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 2022.
When he asked it Telegraph If he agreed with Navratilova’s stance on self-identification in sport, Barker said: “I think you take away young girls’ dreams, so I’m definitely with Navratilova.”
She told MailOnline she would not be commenting further.
Critics of people who were born biologically male competing in women’s sports also include former British Olympians Daley Thompson and Sharron Davies.
Thompson, a two-time gold medalist, wrote in the Mail last December that she thought it was “sad” that equal rights for transgender people had been “stripped away” but insisted there should be a new “open” category in instead of allowing them to compete in women’s events.
And Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has called for a ban on transgender athletes competing against women, writing in the Mail: “We must return to giving women a level playing field to compete.” “We need to give women a sporting opportunity.”
Navratilova, 66, posted in February this year on
“Keep male bodies out of women’s sports – they are free to compete in the men’s category.”
She was responding to the news that a transgender student won the women’s high jump state championship in New Hampshire, United States.
Last year she sided with World Athletics to push for a policy omitting transgender athletes from internationally recognized women’s competitions, calling it “a step in the right direction.”
He wrote in the Times: “In the wake of the World Athletics announcement, I think the best idea would be to have ‘biological women’ and ‘biological girls’ categories and then an ‘open’ category.”
Sue Barker retired as BBC Wimbledon lead presenter at 2022 championships
Barker’s biggest triumph during his tennis career was winning the 1976 French Open.
Navratilova has also criticized the US Tennis Association for its Transgender Inclusion Policy, which states that trans athletes should be included and not blocked from playing the sport.
The document states: ‘It is necessary to ensure, to the extent possible, that transgender athletes are not excluded from the opportunity to participate in sporting competitions.
‘The primary sporting objective is and remains the guarantee of fair competition. Restrictions on participation will be appropriate to the extent that they are necessary and proportionate to achieve this objective.
Navratilova responded: “Come on @USTA: women’s tennis is not for failed male athletes, whatever their age.”
‘This is neither right nor fair. Would this be allowed at this month’s US Open? Only with own identification? I do not think…’
Earlier this month, swimmer Lia Thomas, 25, lost a legal battle that potentially rules her out of competing for the United States in this summer’s Olympics in Paris.
In 2022, Thomas had become the first trans athlete to win the NCAA women’s college swimming title, the most prestigious university title in the United States.
But World Aquatics later changed the rules so that no one who had gone through “any part of male puberty” could compete in the women’s category, also creating an “open” category for which transgender athletes would be eligible.
Martina Navratilova (right) criticized the United States Tennis Association for its stance on the issue
The tennis star posted on X, formerly Twitter, about people he calls “failed male athletes.”
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer (pictured) has said governing bodies had a duty to give female athletes a “sporting opportunity” because male rivals have an “undisputed advantage”.
The sport’s governing body introduced its new policy after Thomas beat Olympic silver medalist Emma Weyant by 1.75 seconds to win NCAA gold.
Thomas, who swam for the Pennsylvania men’s team for three seasons before starting hormone replacement therapy in early 2019, asked the Court of Arbitration for Sports to overturn the rule change.
The three-judge CAS panel dismissed Thomas’ request for arbitration with World Aquatics.
They said Thomas “simply did not have the right to commit to eligibility to compete in WA competitions such as the Olympics or world championships” because he is no longer part of US swimming.
Thomas’ legal team called the ruling “deeply disappointing,” adding: “Broad bans preventing trans women from competing are discriminatory and deprive us of valuable sporting opportunities that are fundamental to our identities.”
The ruling was welcomed by fellow American swimmer Riley Gaines, who finished tied for fifth with Thomas in a 200m freestyle final in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2022.
Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer, called it “a victory for women and girls everywhere.”
Riley Gaines (right) led celebrations on social media after transgender swimmer Lia Thomas (left) lost her legal battle to compete in women’s events at the Olympics.
Trans cyclist Emily Bridges has vowed to take British Cycling to court after it banned transgender women from competing in the women’s category last year.
Trans darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven faced a boycott from a rival at last month’s Dutch Open.
Trans cyclist Emily Bridges, 23, also missed participation in the Paris Olympics after a British cyclist banned transgender women from competing in the women’s category last year.
He admitted earlier this year that his Paris hopes were “gone now” but vowed to take British Cycling to court to overturn the ban and help future transgender competitors.
Last month, a British darts star lost her chance to win the Denmark Open after refusing to face transgender player Noa-Lynn van Leuven.
Deta Hedman, 64, who has been an outspoken critic of rules allowing transgender women to compete in women’s tournaments, withdrew from the quarterfinals and called for the sport to ban athletes born as biological men.