Dee Worley, a former American women’s gymnast, has recently shared her thoughts on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) updating its policies to align with President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” Worley expressed her concerns to Fox News Digital, highlighting the “vague” nature of the new policy and the lack of clear guidelines on trans inclusion in women’s sports. She pointed out that the USOPC has only included a single paragraph in its athlete safety policy referencing Trump’s executive order.
“I think they’re intentionally leaving it vague to leave room for flips and to leave room for the athletes to sort of lose autonomy over whether the competition is fair,” Worley commented. “They’re leaving just that little bit of wiggle room to accommodate the woke mob.” Alongside other female athletes and activists, such as women’s fencer Stephanie Turner, Worley is advocating for mandatory sex screening in women’s competitions. She believes that without such screenings, no significant progress will be made on this issue.
Back in February, similar demands were made of the NCAA after it updated its gender eligibility policy in compliance with Trump’s order. Worley, who made a name for herself at the University of Alabama as a 17-time All-American and a four-time champion, noticed the impact of public pressure on the USOPC concerning trans athletes in women’s sports. She previously took issue with gymnastics legend Simone Biles for her verbal attack on conservative activist Riley Gaines, believing the incident showed that people are no longer afraid to voice their opinions.
“I think everybody overplayed their hand in that situation, related to Simone, starting with her, and then including the governing body. The pressure is mounting, people are no longer afraid to be called names. People are no longer afraid to stand on the side of what is right,” Worley stated. She added that Biles deleting her X account was a sign of the feud’s growing impact. According to Worley, the incident marked a significant moment in the landscape of female sports.
Other athletes have also credited the Gaines-Biles feud as a possible factor influencing the USOPC’s policy change. Turner shared with Fox News Digital that she believes the confrontation played a role in the timing of the change. “Simone represented a side of the debate that didn’t seem very informed about this issue, and it came off as insensitive and insulting as if she had abandoned all the women and girls that she claims to support,” Turner remarked.
Former NFL player Jack Brewer also weighed in on the matter, suggesting that the feud between Biles and Gaines might have influenced the recent policy shift. “I believe the feud between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines had a lot to do with the Olympics banning transgender athletes. It exposed public opinion, and I think President Trump’s victory in the last election was a major catalyst as well,” Brewer told Fox News Digital.
Brewer further explained that people are starting to distance themselves from what he described as a “lie” taught to children, the idea that one can choose their gender. “I think people in America and in this culture are just not going to accept that. This was showcased in the feud between two of America’s greatest female athletes in their respective sports,” he commented. Brewer emphasized the significance of Biles’ stature as an athlete, noting that her comments underscored how deeply ingrained these issues have become in society.
Jackson Thompson, a sports writer for Fox News Digital, contributed to the coverage of this topic. He has a background with ESPN and Business Insider and has covered major events like the Super Bowl and NBA Finals. Thompson has also interviewed renowned figures such as Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, and Jerry Rice, among others.
