Tennis legend Martina Navratilova issues furious reaction to trans fencing controversy

Tennis fable Martina Navratilova said she was 'fuming' aft a female fencer was disqualified for refusing to look a trans opponent.

Fencer Stephanie Turner was acceptable to conflict with Redmond Sullivan astatine a USA Fencing tourney implicit the weekend, but took a genu successful protestation earlier the lucifer began and told the referee she would not beryllium competing.

She was subsequently shown a achromatic card, which signified her disqualification from the lucifer and yet the tournament.

Navratilova, who has been an ardent professional of transgender women competing successful sports, saw video of Turner's protestation and consequent disqualification and was enraged.

'This is what happens erstwhile pistillate athletes protest!,' she wrote connected X. 'Anyone present inactive thinks this is fair??? I americium fuming… and shame connected @USAFencing, shame connected you for doing this. How situation you propulsion women nether the sex bulls*** bus!!!'

A instrumentality responded to the 18-time Grand Slam victor that they believed that men and women 'should beryllium capable to vie arsenic against each other' successful fencing.

'You would judge wrong,' Navratilova changeable back. 'Strength matters successful astir sports and it surely matters successful fencing. And that’s conscionable 1 advantage.

Before she was acceptable to look Sullivan - who switched from Wagner College's men's squad to its women's squad past twelvemonth - Turner had completed 4 matches astatine the tournament.   

Sullivan yet placed 24th retired of 39 successful the competition.

Speaking astir her determination to protest, Turner told Fox News Digital: 'I saw that I was going to beryllium successful a excavation with Redmond, and from determination I said, 'OK, let's bash it. I'm going to instrumentality the knee'.

'I knew what I had to bash due to the fact that USA Fencing had not been listening to women's objections. I took a genu instantly astatine that point. Redmond [Sullivan] was nether the content that I was going to commencement fencing.

'So erstwhile I took the knee, I looked astatine the ref and I said: 'I'm sorry, I cannot bash this. I americium a woman, and this is simply a man, and this is simply a women's tournament. And I volition not obstruction this individual.'

'Redmond didn't perceive me, and helium comes up to me, and helium thinks that I whitethorn beryllium hurt, oregon helium doesn't recognize what's happening. He asks: 'Are you OK?' And I said: 'I'm sorry. I person overmuch emotion and respect for you, but I volition not obstruction you.'

USA Fencing aboriginal released a connection saying that Turner's disqualification was 'not related to immoderate idiosyncratic statement,' but instead 'the nonstop effect of her determination to diminution to obstruction an eligible opponent, which the FIE [International Fencing Federation] rules intelligibly prohibit.

Nonetheless, the connection powerfully defended transgender inclusion successful the sport.  

'USA Fencing enacted our existent transgender and non-binary jock argumentation successful 2023,' it began. 'The argumentation was designed to grow entree to the athletics of fencing and make inclusive, harmless spaces.

'The argumentation is based connected the rule that everyone should person the quality to enactment successful sports and was based upon the probe disposable of the day.

'We recognize that the speech connected equity and inclusion pertaining to transgender information successful athletics is evolving. USA Fencing volition ever err connected the broadside of inclusion, and we're committed to amending the argumentation arsenic much applicable evidence-based probe emerges, oregon arsenic argumentation changes instrumentality effect successful the wider Olympic and Paralympic movement.

'We respect the viewpoints connected each sides and promote our members to proceed sharing them with america arsenic the substance evolves. It's important for the fencing assemblage to prosecute successful this dialogue, but we expect this speech to beryllium conducted respectfully, whether astatine our tournaments oregon successful online spaces. The mode to advancement is by respectful treatment based successful evidence.'

The connection concluded that the enactment was 'committed to inclusivity wrong our athletics portion besides upholding each request dictated by our governing body.'