According to a Fox News Digital report, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has updated its policies to bar biological males from competing in women's sporting events starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Games.^[1] Multiple Olympians provided positive reactions to the reported change.

Kaillie Humphries, a bobsled pilot with four Olympic gold medals (2010, 2014, 2022) and one silver (2018), called it "a great day for women’s sports."^[1][2] Humphries, who competed for Canada before switching allegiance to the United States in 2019, advocated for sex testing to ensure fair competition.^[1][2]

Donna de Varona, a U.S. swimmer who won two gold medals in the 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, praised the involvement of IOC Athletes' Commission chair Kirsty Coventry, a seven-time Olympic medalist in swimming for Zimbabwe.^[1][3][4] Coventry was elected to lead the commission in 2022.^[4]

Gary Hall Jr., a U.S. swimmer with five Olympic medals including a shared gold in the 50m freestyle at the 2000 Sydney Games, stated the policy supports women's rights while allowing transitioned males to compete in men's events.^[1][5]

MyKayla Skinner, who won silver on vault for the United States at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021), described the news as "the best news! About time!"^[1][6]

Leah O'Brien Amico, a three-time Olympic gold medalist in softball for the U.S. team (1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens), supported protecting the women's category for biological females.^[1][7]

Other Olympians including skeleton slider Katie Uhlaender (silver medalist, 2014 Sochi),^[8] swimmer Tyler Clary (gold medalist, 2012 London 200m backstroke),^[9] Nancy Hogshead-Makar (gold medalist, 1984 Los Angeles 100m butterfly)^[10] and tennis legend Martina Navratilova expressed similar views emphasizing fairness, science and the protection of women's categories.^[1]

The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, marking the return of the Games to the United States since 1996.^[11]

Sources

1. Fox News Digital, "Olympians react after IOC bans biological men from women's events starting LA 2028", circa March 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
2. Olympics.com, "Kaillie Humphries", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/athletes/kaillie-humphries
3. Olympics.com, "Donna de Varona", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/athletes/donna-de-varona
4. Olympics.com, "Kirsty Coventry", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/athletes/kirsty-coventry
5. Olympics.com, "Gary Hall Jr.", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/athletes/gary-hall-jr
6. Olympics.com, "MyKayla Skinner", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/athletes/mykayla-skinner
7. Olympics.com / Team USA, "Leah O'Brien Amico", accessed October 2024, https://www.teamusa.com/athletes/Leah-OBrien-Amico
8. Olympics.com, "Katie Uhlaender", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/athletes/katie-uhlaender
9. Olympics.com, "Tyler Clary", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/athletes/tyler-clary
10. Olympics.com, "Nancy Hogshead-Makar", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/athletes/nancy-hogshead-makar
11. LA28.org, "Los Angeles 2028", accessed October 2024, https://la28.org/