It was a protest of quiet dignity but its message was heard around the world. Stephanie Turner, the 31-year-old fencer who last week dropped to one knee as a signal that she refused to compete against a biological male in a female event, has found herself acclaimed a “heroine” by JK Rowling for women’s rights.
One moment she was an unknown athlete from Maryland in an ancient sport. The next, her predicament was drawing the ire of Martina Navratilova, with the nine-time Wimbledon champion furiously claiming she had been thrown under the “gender bulls— bus”.
