No serious scientist disputes that maleness confers a sporting advantage
Zach Bridges, who now identifies as Emily Bridges, prepares to race in stage 5 of the Junior Tour of Wales in August 2018. The British cyclist looked set to triumph in women's races until a last-minute kerfuffle over qualifying periods. © Getty Images
Helen Joyce is the author of "Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality." She is currently on extended leave from The Economist, where she has been a staff journalist since 2005.
On June 19, the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA), the global governing body for competitive swimming, sent shock waves through the sport.
