Olympic Gymnast Advocates for Female Athletes’ Rights Amid IOC Policy Shifts
Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner has become a prominent advocate for female athletes, calling for their voices to be heard in the ongoing debate about fairness and safety in women’s sports as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) moves closer to implementing protective measures for women’s categories. Skinner, a silver medalist from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has urged female athletes to speak out for their rights and demand concrete actions from governing bodies like the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
Skinner recounted her personal journey as a competitive gymnast, including being passed over for the 2016 Olympic team, which led to a period of frustration and uncertainty. She later returned to the sport at age 22, joining the national team within months but faced further challenges. Her path was complicated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the Games and disrupted her training. Despite these obstacles, she managed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics and ultimately secured a silver medal in the vault event.
Skinner highlighted the broader issue of men competing in women’s athletic events, noting that such cases have been documented across multiple sports. She emphasized the need for clear policies to address these concerns, pointing out that male athletes with physiological advantages such as increased muscle mass and strength have competed in women’s categories, raising questions about fairness and safety. She argued that while the IOC and other governing bodies have shown a willingness to take action, more needs to be done to protect women’s sports and ensure that all athletes compete on a level playing field.
Among the examples Skinner cited were the cases of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, two boxers from the 2024 Paris Olympics who tested as male and competed in women’s events. In those instances, opponents who raised concerns about the unfairness of the competition were shamed by the IOC, NBC, and Meta. Skinner also referenced the case of Elizabeth Eddy, a soccer player who raised questions about the fairness of male athletes competing in women’s sports, only to be publicly shamed by her teammates and coaches for doing so.
Skinner stressed that she is not alone in these concerns and that other female athletes are also speaking out. She called for a collective effort from athletes, teams, and organizations to push for stronger protections and policies that support fairness and safety in women’s sports. In her view, the same level of scrutiny and action that is applied to prevent match-fixing and doping should also be applied to ensure that all female athletes can compete in a safe and fair environment.
Skinner’s advocacy comes as the IOC is reportedly considering proposals to implement stricter measures to safeguard women’s categories in the Olympics. While these steps represent a positive development, Skinner and other athletes believe more needs to be done to ensure that women’s sports are protected from unfair competition. She emphasized the importance of speaking up, even in the face of potential backlash, to advocate for what she calls a fair and safe future for female athletes in the Olympic movement.