When Sharron Davies touched the wall in Moscow in 1980, she wasn’t just racing against the clock but against a system. The British swimmer, just 17 at the time, claimed Olympic silver in a field dominated by East German athletes later exposed for systemic doping. More than four decades later, she finds herself in another battle over a policy debate that has placed her at the center of a firestorm: transgender inclusion in women’s sports. She has faced backlash, including death threats. But she’s not one to back down.

Her latest comments came after AB Hernandez, a transgender-identifying male, dominated the girls’ triple jump at the Ontario Relays in California, winning by a staggering eight feet over the second-place finisher, setting the division 3 Girls’ triple jump meet record. Hernandez also took gold in the long jump and played a crucial role in securing a team relay victory.

Reacting to the results, Davies took to X on 25th February, questioning the fairness of a system where, in her view, biological males take opportunities from female athletes.

“What I just don’t understand,” she wrote, “is how anyone in their right mind thinks a boy taking places away from multiple girls, in multiple events, when girls are massively underrepresented in sport already, then enabling the girls’ team to have a huge unfair advantage over the other girls’ teams, is anything other than cheating, unjust & regressive.”

Speaking her mind has often come with challenges for Sharron Davies. She recently broke down in tears as she spoke about receiving “death threats” for her stance against transgender participation in women’s sports. The 62-year-old became emotional while delivering a speech at the Women, Force For Change Free Iran 2025 conference in Paris.

“Many people see me as this tough athlete and campaigner, but I face so much hate and bullying online for my beliefs,” Davies said. “But nothing could be further from the truth. I am as sensitive as the next woman, and of course, I get upset.”

Despite the personal toll, Sharron Davies remains vocal about her stance, standing firm amid online criticism. But she is not alone in this debate. The NCAA’s recent decision has further fueled the discussion, drawing strong reactions from both sides.

Debate Over Transgender Athletes in Women’s Sports Intensifies After NCAA Ruling

Davies’ comments came after the NCAA’s decision to restrict women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth follows a growing trend among governing bodies. World Rugby has implemented similar policies, citing concerns over fairness and safety.

The ruling came a day after former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports at federally funded institutions. The move has sparked a backlash from trans athletes and advocacy groups.

‘I was devastated. We all knew it was coming – it wasn’t necessarily a surprise – but there’s a difference between anticipatory grief and present grief. It made me feel awful, knowing my identity and existence are being debated every single day, with the rhetoric only intensifying,” said Taylor Rey Narvasa, former NCAA volleyball player at the University of Washington said to Guardian.

Some athletes, however, have welcomed Donald Trump’s stance on restricting transgender participation. Former Rio Olympian and Virginia Tech swimmer Reka Gyorgy was left one spot short of the finals at the 2022 NCAA Championships, finishing 17th after transgender athlete Lia Thomas qualified in the top 16. Gyorgy has been vocal about the fairness of male-born athletes competing in women’s sports. “I saw my name at 17th place, which means I didn’t make it back to the finals, just by one spot,” she said to ABC 13.

She firmly believes the biological advantages are undeniable. “Men are just stronger and faster, and no matter what they do, they are always going to be ahead of us as women.”