Former Olympians Join Forces to Protect Women’s Sports
In a bold move that underscores the growing debate about fairness in women’s athletics, Olympic medalists MyKayla Skinner and Nancy Hogshead have signed with XX-XY Athletics, a sportswear brand committed to advocating for the protection of women’s sports from transgender athletes who were born male. This partnership highlights the increasing number of female athletes willing to publicly take a stand on what they see as an issue of competitive fairness and the preservation of women’s athletic opportunities. Skinner, who captured silver in vault at the Tokyo Olympics, expressed enthusiasm about using her platform to advocate for women athletes. “Finding my voice has been hard — there’s no training for that,” she told Fox News Digital. “But every female athlete should find and use hers.” Her decision comes with personal motivation as well, as she added, “This is for my daughter.” Skinner’s involvement follows her public support of former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines in a social media disagreement with gymnastics star Simone Biles over transgender participation in women’s sports. The new partnership aligns her with Gaines, who became XX-XY Athletics’ first brand ambassador when it launched earlier this year.
The tension within the gymnastics community became evident when Skinner previously spoke out about her experience with Biles. “Throughout my own career, I endured being belittled, dismissed and ostracized behind the scenes by Simone,” Skinner revealed in a June statement, after Biles criticized Gaines for comments about a transgender softball pitcher who won a Minnesota girls’ state title. Skinner emphasized that while disagreement is natural, using a platform “to bully and demean” others for “speaking hard truths” goes against the spirit of mutual support that should exist among female athletes. This public stance represents a significant moment where differences in opinion about transgender participation in sports have created divisions even among teammates who once represented their country together on the Olympic stage.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Nancy Hogshead joins XX-XY Athletics as its first Olympic gold medal brand ambassador, bringing considerable advocacy experience to the partnership. As founder of Champion Women and the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group, Hogshead has been at the forefront of efforts to establish clear eligibility standards for women’s sports. “Only strict eligibility standards for girls’ and women’s sports can guarantee fair, safe and respectful competition for us,” Hogshead stated. Her petition to protect women’s sports categories has garnered over 500 signatures from Olympians and Paralympians who, as she puts it, “understand the dedication required to succeed and firmly support future generations of athletes by advocating for a level playing field for all.” Her involvement lends significant credibility to the brand’s mission, given her decorated athletic career and subsequent work as an advocate.
The campaign, titled “The Gold Medal Collection,” extends beyond Skinner and Hogshead to include other Team USA talents who share their concerns about fairness in competition. Taekwondo athlete Jaycee Bassett expressed her perspective clearly: “Every hour I’ve spent training has been to test myself against the best female athletes in the world. If I’m ever asked to compete against a male, I’ll refuse.” This sentiment reflects the position that these athletes are taking—not against transgender individuals personally, but in favor of what they see as the preservation of fair competition based on biological differences that affect athletic performance. The campaign brings together athletes across generations and sports disciplines, suggesting that concerns about transgender participation cut across various women’s sports communities.
The partnership between these athletes and XX-XY Athletics represents a significant development in the ongoing cultural conversation about transgender participation in women’s sports. By lending their names and Olympic credentials to this cause, Skinner and Hogshead elevate the visibility of the debate and potentially influence public opinion. Their involvement also demonstrates the complex intersection of sports, identity politics, and questions of fairness that athletic organizations at all levels are being forced to navigate. As more high-profile athletes speak out on either side of this issue, the conversation will likely continue to evolve, with implications for how sporting bodies develop and implement policies regarding transgender participation in women’s competitions.
For these Olympians, the decision to partner with a brand taking a clear position on a controversial issue carries both opportunity and risk. On one hand, they gain a platform to advocate for a cause they believe protects the integrity of women’s sports and the opportunities available to female athletes. On the other, they enter a highly polarized debate where perspectives often align with broader political and cultural divides. What remains clear is that the question of how to balance inclusion with competitive fairness will continue to challenge sports governing bodies, athletes, and fans alike as they work to determine what the future of women’s athletics should look like. For Skinner, Hogshead, and their fellow advocates, that future must include protections for a women’s category based on biological sex—a position they’re now prominently championing through their partnership with XX-XY Athletics.