He concluded by saying how “mad” and “nasty” it would be to argue Jamaican sprinters or Ethiopian marathon runners should only compete against each other, as they also had genetic advantages.
Mr Kay-Jelski issued his statement on Thursday to the group SEENinJournalism, which describes itself as a network of journalists committed to “truth and impartiality” around gender issues, saying he had not meant to cause offence.
‘No intention of disrespect’
He wrote: “I was making the point that there were not, to my knowledge, many transgender athletes performing at the top of their sport and consequently, they were not a major feature of elite sport.
“I had no intention of being disrespectful to any former or current athletes. Instead, I was calling for kindness in the debate because I did not want my words to have the reverse effect and I have never called into question anyone’s expertise on women’s sport.
“I am not a campaigner and I will not be advocating for any position in my role at the BBC. Anyone who works for the BBC is expected to leave their views at the door and approach issues with impartiality.
“Under my leadership, BBC Sport will report these issues impartially.”