– Hard to accept, says Norwegian national team athlete Lotte Miller for NRK.

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) recently announced that it will allow transgender people to compete in the women’s class, starting September 2.

This caused the Norwegian triathlon community to react.

– That surprised us. “I care most about fairness to women, and I have a hard time seeing that there will be a competition that is one hundred percent right and fair,” Norwegian Triathlon Association sport head Arild Tveiten told NRK.

He confirmed:

– The girls on the team have a clear opinion that it can open up unfair competition and can surpass them.

The claim was confirmed by Miller, who considered the whole situation difficult.

– This is that we must all compete equally. I respect everyone, but I also respect my competitors and the sport I participate in. We believe that everyone has an equal footing at the starting line, he said.

Sending a letter

The decision, which was voted on by 15 of the 17 member International Federations, has met with opposition from several quarters.

The British Triathlon Union, with ITU vice president Ian Howard as head, was one of two to disagree with the decision to be open to transgender people.

Together with Howard, the president also voted for the executive committee, Tamas Toth, opposed the proposal.

Both considered the decision to get a bad response from a number of athletes. Sports manager Tveiten also claims that some practitioners opposed the decision.

– All international athletes have stated they don’t think it’s the right way, says sports manager the tweet.

Discontent among the athletes was used as an argument when the British Triathlon Federation sent letters to several federations – which Norway also received.

– They are not the same in the process. They think athletes are being listened to too little, Anette Brurås, president of the Norwegian Triathlon Association, told NRK.

– What position should they take?

– We are waiting and will continue to assess developments around this topic. It is important not to make hasty decisions on this topic. There is a complex problem, he replied.

The decision means that transpersons wishing to compete in the women’s class must document a testosterone level of less than 2.5 nanomoles per liter for a period of at least two years. In addition, at least four years have passed since the race in the men’s or men’s class, regardless of the sport.

Based on Helsebiblioteket.no Normal testosterone levels are 0.4-2.0 nanomoles per liter in women.

– It is a difficult balance between fairness and inclusion. The Triathlon Association cares deeply about inclusion. They have the same prize money, the same distance and so on. “That’s why I think they’ve chosen inclusion,” Brurås said.

– Shock

Triathlonforbundet was one of the first confederations to open up transgender participation in women’s classes.

When the decision is announced said ITU President Marisol Casado that “they put the principle of justice first, but also show that they are inclusive”.

Tveiten believes the decision is shocking and premature, while at the same time admitting that he has seen too little of the case.

– I have to say I was surprised that it happened so quickly in a triathlon. We were actually the first. We have never had this discussion at the international top level before. “I think it’s probably too early,” said the sporting manager before he ended Up:

– Perhaps one should let some of the other confederations, which have more experience and more athletes, be a bit ahead.

NRK has tried to obtain comment from the International Triathlon Union (ITU) on Tveiten’s comments, initially without success.