Twenty-six Senate and House Republicans are demanding the International Olympic Committee (IOC) amend its standards to adhere to President Donald Trump's recent executive order protecting the rights of female athletes to fair, safe competition in a letter sent to IOC President Thomas Bach.
Their letter was delivered as the IOC starts to elect new leadership and talk about preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
In the letter, which was spearheaded by Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch of Idaho and Utah Rep. Burgess Owens, the lawmakers wrote that "future Olympians are counting on the IOC to protect the opportunities of women and girls to contribute to... the vital importance of fairness in women's sports at every level of competition."
The Republican congressmen emphasized that "to do so, the IOC must base eligibility for women's athletic competitions on biological sex. Allowing biological males to compete in women's categories undermines competitive opportunities, safety, and respect for female athletes."
The letter urged the IOC to uphold "the integrity of women's Olympic competitions and ensure that only biological women and girls are allowed to compete in female sports categories. The Olympic Games should be a model for integrity in sports, and the next IOC president must firmly defend the rights of dedicated female athletes. We look forward to your leadership on this critical issue and demand that the next IOC president preserve the fundamental principles of fair competition."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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