Kaillie Humphries says her opposition to transgender athletes competing in women’s sports has created tension within Team USA. The three-time Olympic bobsled gold medallist told Fox News that her views had led to “awkward, tense moments” with some teammates, including those within bobsled and the wider Team USA environment.
Humphries, 41, has been outspoken on the issue since signing with XX-XY Athletics, an activist sportswear company, in April. She has publicly supported former President Donald Trump’s agenda to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, a stance that sharply contrasts with that of some of her peers.
“I have teammates within bobsled, I have teammates within Team USA who believe in a different side, for sure,” Humphries said in the interview published on 13 October. “For sure, it’s created awkward, tense moments. I think it’s created tense moments even within friendships that were there.” She added that while conversations about transgender inclusion in sports could become heated, many athletes maintained a respectful approach despite their differences.
“I think that while it creates a bit of tension, no one’s willing to cross the line. It doesn’t make you a bad person because you believe something different than somebody else,” she said.
Humphries is known for breaking new ground in the sport. She was one of the first women to pilot a mixed-gender four-person bobsled team and the first woman to drive an all-female team against men in a four-person World Cup bobsled race. Despite these achievements, her recent advocacy has not been universally accepted among her colleagues.
She is married to former USA bobsledder Travis Armbruster, and they have a two-year-old son named Aulden. Humphries insists her position is motivated by a desire to protect opportunities for biological female athletes, saying: “I’ve had these opportunities because it has remained for biological females. And that’s something that I believe in and that I’m going to push.”
The debate over transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports remains highly contentious across multiple disciplines. Humphries’ comments reflect the divisions present within elite sport, where athletes’ personal beliefs and political views sometimes clash with team unity.
Her alignment with XX-XY Athletics and outspoken support for Trump’s policies have drawn attention beyond the bobsled community, situating her at the centre of a broader cultural and political conversation around gender identity and sports.
As of now, Humphries continues to compete and advocate for her views, with no indication that the tensions within Team USA have escalated beyond the “awkward, tense moments” she described.
According to Yahoo Sports.