As British Cycling "reels from an allegation of sexism," senior figures in the women’s track team have offered their support to Technical Dir Shane Sutton, according to Alyson Rudd of the LONDON TIMES. Sutton was accused last week of telling Jess Varnish "to move on and get on with having a baby" when she questioned why she had been dropped from the Olympic program. Varnish, alongside Katy Marchant, failed to qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Games "after finishing fifth in the sprint at the World Championships last month." Immediately after the race she "was seething." Varnish said that she felt "a lot of frustration, disappointment," in the organization. Her outburst prompted concerns that she would be dropped from the team but Sutton said at the time that there would be "no repercussions for anybody" who might be "angry or disappointed in the heat of the moment." However, Varnish claims that she did suffer repercussions and "was not only told to go away and have a baby" but that her "ass" was "too big for her discipline." The revelations have "stunned" some of her former female teammates who have told Sutton that they have "never had concerns about being treated differently or without respect." Sutton, they say, is a "straight-talking Australian who is often blunt but not sexist" (LONDON TIMES, 4/25). In London, Sean Ingle reported world road race champion Lizzie Armitstead said that Varnish was "right to speak out against what she perceived was sexism in British Cycling." Armitstead was hesitant about discussing the situation because she is "predominantly based in Monaco," while British Cycling’s HQ is in Manchester, but she did say, "Any athlete in her position has the right to say what she said. She’s worked so hard to be in the position she’s in and to have that taken away from her, if she feels that it’s unjust, then she should speak out about it." Olympic team pursuit Gold Medalist Joanna Rowsell Shand thinks the women’s and men’s endurance squads "are treated equally." Rowsell Shand: "I was surprised by the comments. I’ve always thought as a track rider it’s very equal. Compared to the men’s team pursuit squad, we definitely get equal treatment" (GUARDIAN, 4/25).
