Sue Bird Dismisses IOC Policy as Fearmongering

Sue Bird, a Basketball Hall of Famer and four-time WNBA champion with the Seattle Storm, called the International Olympic Committee's new policy limiting female competition to biological females fearmongering. Speaking on the "A Touch More" podcast with Megan Rapinoe, the retired guard agreed with transgender nonbinary runner Nikki Hiltz that the IOC addresses no real problem. Bird described the policy as a political tactic tied to the Trump administration's vote-seeking.

The IOC framework restricts eligibility for female events at Olympic and other competitions to those confirmed as biological females through a one-time SRY gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample. The organization described the measure as evidence-based and informed by experts. IOC President Kirsty Coventry addressed volunteers ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

Bird elaborated that framing the issue as a threat to women's sports misrepresents reality and risks broader policing of female athletes' bodies. She expressed sadness over the policy and sent support to the transgender community. Rapinoe earlier criticized the IOC approach as lacking scientific foundation.

A World Athletics panel in Tokyo last September, led by Dr. Stéphane Bermon of its Health and Science Department, highlighted an over-representation of athletes with differences of sex development among female finalists. The presentation identified 50 to 60 competitors with male biological advantages reaching finals in global and continental championships since 2000.