Emily Bridges: Transgender cyclist will not race in women's National Omnium event

Emily Bridges will not compete in her first women's event after a ruling by the world governing body.

The 21-year-old looked set to face some of the sport's biggest names, including five-time Olympic champion Laura Kenny.

British Cycling said in a statement on Wednesday that Emily is not eligible to participate in the event because of the current guidelines of the Union Cycliste Internationale.

Bridges began hormone therapy last year as part of her gender dysphoria treatment and has now become eligible to compete in women's events because of lowered levels of testosterone.

The British Cycling's regulations require riders to have testosterone levels below five nanomoles per liter for a year prior to competition.

British Cycling said they have been in close discussions with the UCI regarding Emily's participation this weekend and have also engaged closely with Emily and her family regarding her transition and involvement in elite competitions.

We acknowledge the decision of the UCI with regards to Emily's participation, however we fully understand her disappointment with today's decision.

It is a challenge for all elite sports to include trans and non-binary athletes.

Lia Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle and finished fifth and eighth in other races at the NCAA Championships.

Thomas was backed by an open letter from 300 swimmers, but her inclusion also faced opposition from another competitor, Hungary's Reka Gyorgy, as well as Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

Lord Sebastian Coe claimed that theintegrity of women's sport was at stake and its future was tenuous.

Coe called on the IOC to introduce regulations that can be applied across every sport and insisted that gender cannot trump biology.

British Cycling has called for a coalition across a number of sports to work together to find a better answer.

The concept of fairness is essential in elite sports.

British Cycling is calling for a coalition to share, learn and understand more about how we can achieve fairness in a way that maintains the dignity and respect of all athletes.

More to come.