As stated in Article t.113 of the FIE (International Fencing Federation) Technical Rules.
Such a rejection is punishable by disqualification and the associated penalties under these regulations.
The purpose of this policy is to protect the integrity of the sport and uphold fair competition standards.
Because cis women are at an athletic disadvantage when competing against trans women, Turner claimed she “had no choice” but to decline the match.
Sullivan’s disqualification was due to her “decision to decline to fence an eligible opponent,” according to USA Fencing, which disputed that it was “related to any personal statement.”
