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EXCLUSIVE: Former US Olympians MyKayla Skinner and Nancy Hogshead have signed with activist sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics, aligning themselves with the mission of advocating for the protection of women’s sports from biological male transgender athletes.
Skinner, who won silver on vault at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, spoke out on the issue earlier this year and is now taking a tougher stance.
“I am excited to partner with [XX-XY Athletics founder] Jennifer Sey and her pro-women’s XX-XY Athletics to tell my story as an athlete and a woman,” Skiner told Pak Gazette Digital.
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Mykayla Skinner and Simone Biles of Team USA pose for a photo during women’s podium training ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Center on July 22, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
“It’s been hard to find my voice; there’s no training for that. But every female athlete has to find and use hers. No one trains you to have moral courage or unwavering positivity; that’s a different kind of journey. I’m going to share that too. Why? Use my platform to be a positive role model for female athletes. But really, this is for my daughter.”
Skinner joins the brand after previously speaking out against her former teammate Simone Biles in June.
After Biles sparked a social media feud with former NCAA swimmer and OutKick host Riley Gaines for posting about a trans softball pitcher who won a Minnesota women’s state title, Skinner was quick to publicly side with Gaines. Skinner now joins the same brand championed by Gaines, who was the first brand ambassador for XX-XY Athletics when it launched in 2024.
“As an athlete who has dedicated years to a sport, I have always believed that true competition should elevate us, not diminish others. That’s why it’s deeply troubling to see Simone Biles publicly label a fellow athlete a ‘sore loser,’ simply for raising valid concerns about fairness in women’s sports,” Skinner said in a June statement.
“I commend and appreciate Riley Gaines for having the courage to speak out. Throughout my own career, I endured Simone belittling, dismissing and excluding me behind the scenes… It’s one thing to disagree. It’s another to use your platform to bully and demean… We should lift each other up, not tear each other down for speaking hard truths.”
SIMONE BILES DEFENDS BY CALLING FORMER TEAMMATE: ‘IT WAS RIGHT AT THE TIME’
Meanwhile, Hogshead, a three-time Olympic gold and silver medalist, is the founder of Champion Women and the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group. She is the author of a petition to protect the women’s category with more than 500 signatures.
Nancy Hogshead-Makar, senior director of advocacy for the Women’s Sports Foundation, attends the 40 For 40 event, 40 Years of Title IX, 40 Women Who Have Made an Impact, at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, DC, on June 21, 2012. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for WICT)
Now, Hogshead joins XX-XY Athletics as the brand’s first Olympic gold medal ambassador.
“Only strict eligibility standards for girls’ and women’s sports can ensure fair, safe and respectful competition,” Hogshead told Pak Gazette Digital. “More than 500 Olympic and Paralympic athletes are moving forward thanks to the petition signed by the Women’s Champions; they understand the dedication it takes to succeed and strongly support future generations of athletes by advocating for a level playing field for all.”
The two medalists front the brand’s new campaign, “The Gold Medal Collection.” The campaign features other Team USA talent, including taekwondo athlete Jaycee Bassett, triathlete Shannon Grady and swimmer Réka György.
Former Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner with Simone Biles (left) and former Olympic swimmer Nancy Hogshead (right). (Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images, Tony Duffy/Allsport/Getty Images)
“As an athlete training to be the best in the world, I admire women like Nancy and MyKayla who have paved the way,” Bassett told Pak Gazette Digital.
“But I also know that it is up to my generation to speak up and protect the path. Every hour I have spent training has been to test myself against the best female athletes in the world. If I am ever asked to compete against a man, I will refuse. The integrity of competition depends on a level playing field for every female athlete who invests her time, dedication and sacrifice in her pursuit of excellence.”
