American Olympic runner Nikki Hiltz, who identifies as transgender nonbinary, responded to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) new policy barring males from female competitions. The IOC announced on Thursday that it will use genetic testing to verify the biological sex of female event competitors.
“All Olympic athletes in women’s sports must now undergo genetic sex testing,” Hiltz stated on Instagram Stories. “Attacks on trans individuals have resulted in increased scrutiny and regulation of ALL women’s bodies. Transphobia affects everyone.”
Hiltz, a silver medalist in the 2024 World Indoor Championships and a gold medalist in the 2019 Pan American Games, competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The IOC specified that only biological females, determined through a one-time SRY gene screening, are eligible for events in the women’s category.
The genetic testing can be done using saliva, cheek swabs, or blood samples. The IOC consulted with experts and aims to provide equal opportunities for women in sports. IOC President Kirsty Coventry emphasized that enabling males in women’s sports is not safe and unfair.
“It is clear that biological males competing in female categories is unfair and, in some sports, unsafe,” Coventry stated. Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
