Megan Rapinoe rips IOC's new policy to protect women's sports, rejects notion rule is based in science

Former U.S. women’s shot prima Megan Rapinoe ripped nan International Olympic Committee (IOC) for implementing a caller argumentation to guarantee fairness crossed women’s competitions.

The IOC said "eligibility for immoderate female class arena astatine nan Olympic Games aliases immoderate different IOC event, including individual and squad sports, is now constricted to biologic females, wished connected nan ground of a one‑time SRY cistron screening."

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Groups of protesters guidelines successful beforehand of nan Supreme Court of nan United States arsenic nan Justices perceive nan landmark lawsuit to determine if transgender girls should beryllium allowed to participate successful girls' and women's sports connected Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Credit: Andrew Thomas / CNP (Andrew Thomas/CNP for Fox News Digital)

The statement added that nan argumentation was "evidence-based" and "expert-informed." The testing tin beryllium conducted via saliva, feature swab aliases humor sample.

A position astatine a World Athletics sheet successful Tokyo successful September revealed that 50 to 60 athletes pinch antheral biologic advantages person been finalists successful nan female class astatine world and continental championships since 2000.

The sheet was led by nan caput of nan World Athletics Health and Science Department, Dr. Stéphane Bermon, who said activity tests were basal because of an "over-representation" of DSD (differences of activity development) athletes among finalists, per aggregate reports.

However, Rapinoe rejected nan argumentation successful nan latest rumor of her "A Touch More" podcast.

"Unfortunately, we person to opportunity that each successful nan aforesaid activity arsenic a really horrible norm came retired from nan International Olympic Committee," Rapinoe said arsenic she praised nan transgender community. "They announced a caller argumentation that they’re calling, I can’t moreover judge that they’re calling it this because it has thing to do pinch protecting women, I consciousness for illustration 2 people, who played astatine nan very highest level for each title that you perchance could, don’t work together pinch this and ne'er felt for illustration this was an rumor astatine all, ‘The Protection of nan Female [Women’s] Category.’"

Rapinoe dismissed nan conception that nan argumentation was rooted successful subject and said that nan IOC was subjecting women to "invasive testing."

A protester for protecting women's sports gathers extracurricular nan Supreme Court connected January 13, 2026 successful Washington, D.C. Groups from some sides of nan statement gathered connected Tuesday greeting to protestation while 2 cases that prohibit transgender girls from joining girls' and women's sports teams are heard wrong nan Supreme Court. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

OLYMPIANS REACT TO THE IOC POLICY CHANGE TO PROTECT WOMEN'S SPORTS

"We already cognize that biology, arsenic overmuch arsenic we want it to beryllium conscionable bully and cleanable and tight and perfectly successful 1 class and another, it’s not," Rapinoe said. "We cognize that. So, now what we’re doing is subjecting everybody, each women and each group who are identifying arsenic women to this really invasive testing that only to maine says like, ‘Oh we’re conscionable trying to whittle it down to a definite type of woman. Is that what we’re doing? That’s really nan full crippled here.

"They benignant of mislaid nan conflict connected cheery matrimony and mislaid nan conflict connected each these things truthful it’s conscionable like, ‘We’re gonna person this full run for each these years to conscionable dislike trans people,’ which is specified a mini percent of nan population. It’s really connected a azygous manus erstwhile we’re talking astir sports. And conscionable for illustration thread nan absolute tightest needle thread that you perchance could."

Rapinoe added that nan IOC only implemented nan norm to appease President Donald Trump's administration.

"This committee is framing it arsenic based successful science, which it’s not," she said. "This will yet conscionable forestall group from competing wrong nan women’s class that they consciousness for illustration they person an unfair advantage. It’s conscionable really hateful. There’s been truthful fewer athletes that are trans aliases competing arsenic trans and it’s truthful blatant connected its face. It’s a full acquiescence to nan Trump management and to really right-wing blimpish authorities that really is conscionable bringing down truthful overmuch dislike against specified a mini percent of group who are conscionable trying to unrecorded their life. It’s conscionable horrible and I’m conscionable sickened by it, really."

File - Megan Rapinoe #15 of Team United States lines up anterior to nan Women's Football Group G lucifer betwixt United States and Australia during nan Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games astatine Kashima Stadium connected July 27, 2021 successful Kashima, Japan. (Hector Vivas/FIFA)

Conversely, respective Olympians supported nan IOC’s decision.

Kaillie Humphries, a three-time Olympic golden medalist for nan U.S. and Canada, was among them.

"Today is simply a awesome time for women’s sports and a large triumph successful nan Olympic world," she told Fox News Digital past month. "By implementing nan activity testing, it will let for adjacent competition. It utilized to hap years ago, and by bringing it backmost it will protect nan women’s category. I deliberation it’s very fitting that LA28 will beryllium nan games to protect women’s sports arsenic it’s thing that our president has advocated for."

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Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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