Female darts player forfeits big match rather than compete against biological male

A British female darts player made international news after refusing to play against a biological male in the Denmark Open last weekend.

Deta Hedman, aged 64, was set to play against transgender athlete and defending champion Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the quarterfinal of the tournament, but opted not to play.

“This subject is causing much angst in the sport I love,” Hedman wrote on X. “People can be whoever they want in life, but I don’t think biological born men should compete in women’s sports.” 

Phill Barrs, a local reporter in Denmark, initially posted on X that Hedman withdrew due to pain and illness, “So this way would still pick up ranking points by not refusing to play because of who the opponent was.” 

However, Hedman quickly refuted his claim, stating, “No fake illness. I said I wouldn’t play a man in a ladies’ event.” 

According to Hedman, she approached tournament director Carsten Jeppesen privately to express her discomfort with facing a male opponent. This conversation, she asserts, was witnessed only by Jeppesen, with no other officials or players present. 

Hedman also took issue with Barrs’ reliance on unnamed sources, urging him to verify facts before disseminating information. 

“I understand [Phill] Barrs has made posts on X etc that are totally untrue, a friend contacted him and he claims he was told by a very reliable source,” Hedman wrote. “I know his source and that’s why I state only Carsten and myself were present at that meeting.”  

She went on to deny his claim she faked being sick, citing intricate tournament mechanics to prove her point. 

Van Leuven lost to Beau Graves in the semifinals, whom he had previously beaten in a women’s event in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) last month, according to Fox News. 

The PDC follows the Darts Regulation Authority’s policy, which is governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC’s darts policy allows biological males to compete in female events as long as their testosterone level is below 10 nanomoles per liter for at least 12 months, according to Fox News. 

Hedman questions the leniency of the policy, allowing men to compete with testosterone levels four times higher than women’s. 

According to Mount Sinai Health System, a normal testosterone level for males is 10 to 35 nanomoles per liter, while a normal testosterone level in females is 0.5 to 2.4 nanomoles per liter. 

The policy also says transgender females may not have a “presumption of advantage.” 

Hedman claims biological males have many advantages in darts. 

“Virtually all sports orgs agree that a male post puberty has many advantages, strength, muscle mass, lung capacity, etc, suppressants don’t drastically reduce these!” Hedman posted on X. “Surely this helps a trans in their mentality/[psychology] in a precision sport.”  

Hedman has since received widespread support, including from former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines. 

“I must get into contact with Deta Hedman,” Gaines posted on X. “I want to pay her the prize money she missed out on, just as @SethDillon and I did with billiards player Kim O’Brien for taking the same stand. 

“Bravery deserves to be rewarded.” 

In March, two women quit the Dutch National Women’s Team, citing the unfairness of Van Leuven’s participation, according to OutKick.