"Tennis icon Martina Navratilova has apologised for using the term "cheating" when discussing whether transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women's sport.
Navratilova - one of the most successful tennis players of all time - has been criticised as "transphobic" for writing that transgender women had "unfair" physical advantages over female opponents.
On Saturday, former British swimmer Sharron Davies told BBC Sport that many current athletes "feel the same way" and that trans athletes should not compete in female events to "protect women's sport".
However, transgender cyclist Rachel McKinnon, who won a UCI Masters Track World Championship title in October, said Davies was "sharing hate speech".
Athlete Ally - a US-based organisation that campaigns for LGBT sportspeople - cut its links with Navratilova in the wake of the 62-year-old's original comments, saying they "perpetuate dangerous myths".
On Saturday, former British swimmer Sharron Davies told BBC Sport that many current athletes "feel the same way" and that trans athletes should not compete in female events to "protect women's sport".However, transgender cyclist Rachel McKinnon, who won a UCI Masters Track World Championship title in October, said Davies was "sharing hate speech".
Athlete Ally - a US-based organisation that campaigns for LGBT sportspeople - cut its links with Navratilova in the wake of the 62-year-old's original comments, saying they "perpetuate dangerous myths".
In a new blog published on Sunday, Navratilova said:
- She was "sorry" for using the word "cheat"
- She had been "vilified" as "transphobic" since her initial comments on the subject
- Creating further separate categories in sport for trans athletes could cause "confusion" and would be a "big mistake" in tennis
- She "stumbled into a hornet's nest" and got a "barrage of quite nasty personal attacks.
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