Trans athlete Emily Bridges says Boris Johnson's remarks resulted in 'physical threats of violence'

Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges has spoken about the comments made by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on trans athletes, saying she received ‘physical threats’ after they were made.

Johnson previously spoke out against participation of transgender athletes in women’s sport.

“I don’t think biological males should be competing in female sporting events” the PM said in April.

In March, Bridges was blocked from taking part in the women’s category at the British National Omnium Championships by the world governing body.

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Bridges, 21, has now spoken about the hurtful messages she received after Johnson’s comments – saying they made her feel ‘scared’.

“It is very difficult to read everything people are saying about you, and it hurts, it hurts,” Bridges told ITV News.

“It's really strange to see probably the most famous man in Britain talking about you and having an opinion on something that he doesn't know anything about.

“The response after that was as expected, I had threats of physical violence made against me by complete strangers online. People are entitled to hold an opinion about it, but there's a way to go about voicing that opinion - and threatening to kneecap me is not that way.”

Bridges added: “I’m scared a lot of the time about being who I am in public. Is someone going to recognise me? They were real concerns and it was a real fear that I had after the comments were made, and it was scary. I was scared.”

It comes after Bridges was blocked by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) from competing against Laura Kenny in the National Omnium Championships – despite British Cycling previously announcing that Bridges could compete.

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