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American Olympic runner Nikki Hiltz, who identifies as transgender non-binary, reacted to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) policy to bar males from women’s competitions on Friday.
The IOC announced its new policy on Thursday. The organization said it will employ genetic testing to verify the biological sex of competitors in women’s events.
“All Olympic athletes competing in women’s sports are now required to undergo genetic sex testing,” Hiltz wrote in a post on Instagram Stories. “Attacks on trans people have consistently led to more policing and regulation of ALL women’s bodies. Everyone is hurt by transphobia.
“Y’all already know where I stand on this but this policy is so f—ing stupid and is not solving a problem that exists. I don’t know who needs to hear this but ZERO trans women competed in the Paris Olympics. Only ONE trans woman weightlifter competed in Tokyo 2021 and she did not win a medal. Can we please stop obsessing over trans people? And idk maybe focus our time, energy, and resources into real problems women’s sports face?”
Hiltz, who won a silver medal in the 2024 World Indoor Championships and a gold in the 2019 Pan American Games, competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The IOC said that eligibility for events in the women’s category is “now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one-time SRY gene screening.”
“Evidence‑based and expert‑informed, the policy – applicable for the LA28 Olympic Games onwards – protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category.”
The testing can be conducted via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample.
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The IOC said it came to the decision to implement the policy after consulting with a panel of experts, with the goal of providing equal opportunity for women in sport.
“The policy was developed on the basis that it is universally accepted that providing for a female category is necessary to allow both males and females equal access to elite sport,” the IOC said in an announcement.
“It was guided by the IOC’s modern goals relating to equality (equal opportunities for female athletes in finals, on podiums and in championships); enhancing Olympic value (featuring both women’s and men’s finals in every sport); and visibility and inspiration (celebrating female athletes on the Olympic podium to inspire and represent women and girls worldwide).”
IOC President Kirsty Coventry suggested that the continued enabling of males in women’s sports is “not safe” in the announcement.
“As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition. The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts. At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” Coventry said.
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“So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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