Megan Rapinoe has never been shy about speaking up for transgender athletes, even as the issue has become one of the most heated debates in sports. And in a recent interview, the United States Women's National Team legend made it clear that her stance hasn't changed.
In a recent podcast, Rapinoe pushed back on the idea that trans women threaten fairness in women's sports, arguing that sports have never been fair in the first place and claiming that fairness shouldn't matter more than people's human rights.
The debate over transgender athletes in women's sports has only intensified over the past couple of years, with Republicans making it a central political issue and many states passing laws that ban trans girls and women from competing in girls' and women's sports.
The issue has spilled into the sports world, too. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham sparked a nationwide conversation this year when she voiced her opposition to trans women competing in women's sports.
Even some Democrats have distanced themselves from the issue. Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, for example, has said that he opposes trans athletes playing in girls' sports "if it endangers safety or fairness."

#ISSUE #athletes #women

The day before her 17th birthday, Jaya Kalsi received a phone call with the kind of news that every young boxer dreams of.
The athlete, from Warwick, had been selected to represent Team GB at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, in what she described as an "amazing present to get".
With the Games getting under way on 31 October, Kalsi is preparing to fly out for what will be the highest-level competition of her career so far.
"I'm looking forward to it, it's a great honour to represent Team GB and my country," she said.
Speaking to BBC CWR, Kalsi said she had been training with Team GB in recent weeks in the gym and her preparations had gone "really well".

#team #represent

Congratulations to Palmer Jenney of Wilmington Friends field hockey, the Delaware Online High School Sports Athlete of the Week for Week 7 of the fall sports season.
Jenney scored five goals across Wilmington Friends' 2-0 win over Sanford, 1-0 win over St. Andrew's and 3-1 win over Archmere.
Jenney won an online vote over four other nominees. The poll, presented by Delaware Orthopaedic Specialists, runs Monday through Thursday each week on Delaware Online with the winner announced Friday.
Nominations for the next Athlete of the Week can be sent to Brandon Holveck at bholveckdelawareonline.com. Please include the athlete you are nominating, their school and a brief summary of their achievements in the past week.
Brandon Holveck reports on high school sports for The News Journal. Contact him at bholveckdelawareonline.com.

#week #jenney #Delaware #wilmington

Lionel Messi's bodyguard just picked up a new trick from ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo, and he wasted no time putting it to good use.
The meeting happened by chance in Los Angeles, California, where a mutual sponsor event put Kade and his twin brother, reigning ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo, in the same room as Yassine Cheuko, the French-Tunisian security professional who rarely leaves the soccer player's side.
Kade was the one on camera, but Tye was right there for the whole thing.
In the clip, the 23-year-old Tenore athlete breaks down a standing Mir Lock for Cheuko, and the video ends with the bodyguard applying the very same hold on him and forcing a tap.
Ultimately, the welterweight submission grappling king and his twin brother walked away with a positive experience.

#champion #ruotolo #cheuko #twin

Watch: 'I made the wrong decision,' Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk tells BBC
An Australian athlete has admitted putting others at risk by continuing to race after soiling herself during an endurance sports event.
Speaking exclusively to the BBC ahead of her return to the sport, Joanna Wietrzyk suggested her determination to win the Hyrox race in Beijing in September had clouded her judgement: "It was my decision to continue racing so I take full responsibility for that."
Challenged over why she carried on, she said: "I didn't really think about those around me… the decision that I made in hindsight was the wrong decision and I'm truly sorry for everyone that I did affect."
The 24-year-old said that the experience and subsequent backlash was "traumatic". She also said she had considered walking away from the sport, in which she holds a world record.

#hyrox #athlete #race

The day before her 17th birthday, Jaya Kalsi received a phone call with the kind of news that every young boxer dreams of.
The athlete, from Warwick, had been selected to represent Team GB at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, in what she described as an "amazing present to get".
With the Games getting under way on 31 October, Kalsi is preparing to fly out for what will be the highest-level competition of her career so far.
"I'm looking forward to it, it's a great honour to represent Team GB and my country," she said.
Speaking to BBC CWR, Kalsi said she had been training with Team GB in recent weeks in the gym and her preparations had gone "really well".

#games #jaya #warwick #senegal

One email changed everything for George Spencer.
Eight years after asking how he could get involved in a sport he had watched as a spectator, the 30-year-old is preparing to represent Great Britain at a world championship for the third time.
This weekend, he will travel to Germany to compete against some of the world's best athletes in a sport that involves chopping and sawing through wood with axes, chainsaws and crosscut saws.
What started with a simple email after watching an event in Liverpool in 2018 soon became what Spencer describes as an "obsession".
"My friend said I should see about getting involved so I emailed them and got invited to a newcomers' taster day," he said.

#eight

FORT WALTON BEACH — There was no grandiose celebration of a four-peat, nor was there even acknowledgement of it by Frank Beasley in the postgame huddle.
Instead, after Choctaw (6-2, 4-0) won its sixth straight game and locked up District 1-4A again with a 49-7 win over Booker T. Washington (6-2, 3-1), the Big Green put their head down because they know what's on the horizon.
Region 1-4A is a gauntlet with unbeaten Columbia ranked No. 1, undefeated St. Augustine No. 2, unbeaten Mosley at No. 3 and Ed White 7-2 narrowly ahead of the Big Green at No. 4. That'll likely change between now and the next weekend before the region brackets are revealed, but for now the Big Green can only control what they can control.
Vote now: FPL Athlete of the Week for Oct. 19-24
"We're not affected by who we have to play in the playoffs, and we'll get the job done," senior Carter Marracco said.

#region #fort

Fennville Public Schools has hired Derrick DeVries as Director of Athletics and Community Recreation.
DeVries takes over for Tony Stennett, who stepped down from the position.
DeVries was a star basketball player at Calvin University and was recently ******* ociate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Knights the past four years.
"He is a graduate of Calvin University and comes to us with a wealth of experience in coaching and managing teams and athletes, athletic operations including logistical planning of camps and tournaments, athlete development, and has served as the director of youth and team camps," Fennville Public Schools said in a statement.
More: Tony Stennett steps down as Fennville Director of Athletics and Recreation

#director #tony #stennett

AUBURN — A sudden addition to Auburn basketball's staff appears unlikely, at least for the time being, as head coach Steven Pearl addressed the firing of general manager Brian Kloman following the Tigers' 80-68 win in an exhibition against Samford on Thursday, Oct. 29, at Neville Arena.
Auburn's coaching staff is taking a by-committee approach to general manager duties, Pearl said. He did not provide a timeline for an eventual general manager hire, nor did he expressly state the program would look for someone to fill that role.
"As a staff, (we will) just kind of go through some of the things that Brian (Kloman) was doing and try and divvy up some of those responsibilities, and collectively as a group, work through those things together," Pearl said.
Brett Whiteside, listed as Auburn's executive senior **** ociate athletics director, was name-dropped by Pearl as someone who is expected to help the program amid its general manager change. According to his staff biography, Whiteside "plays a key role in shaping the student-athlete experience through revenue-sharing operations, NIL strategy, education, and compliance."
The circumstance arises after Auburn fired Kloman on Monday, in the aftermath of international signee Mantas Rubstavicius voluntarily dismissing his eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA.

#general #manager #kloman #program

Combined, the Yuba City and River Valley High girls volleyball teams had not won a Sac-Joaquin playoff match in nearly 20 years – a negative trend that changed Tuesday all across town.
– YC (20-9) held serve at home to win its first playoff match since 2015 with a four-set win over Buhach Colony to advance into the SJS Division III quarterfinals where it will face a familiar foe in Roseville (19-17) of the Foothill Valley League, at 6 p.m. today (Thursday) in Placer County. It is a four-five matchup, with Roseville the No. 4 seed in the bracket. Roseville has won eight straight over YC dating back the last four seasons. The Honkers' last win was 2022 when the current senior corps was still in eighth grade, according to records.
– RV (15-15) avenged last year's five-set playoff loss to Oakdale with a sweep at home Tuesday to advance into a quarterfinal date with No. 1 Ripon (25-4) at 6 p.m. in San Joaquin County. RV last faced Ripon in 2018 – the same year of its last postseason victory in the SJS playoffs when current head coach Samee Taylor was a senior setter/opposite attacker on the squad that finished 25-5 and won the Capital Valley Conference in the regular season. In the playoffs, Taylor and RV got to the 2018 quarterfinals where it was derailed by Del Oro in four sets.
Taylor was an everyday athlete, appearing in 55 sets for the Falcons that year. She collected 60 kills, 13 blocks and had 45 ******* ists.
– The top-seed in D-V won its 32nd match with a straight-set victory over Westlake Charter Tuesday in Sutter. The Huskies (32-5) host Linden, once the home of Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, at 6 p.m. today in the quarterfinals. Sutter has won 15 straight and only dropped one set since the High Sierra Tournament in Reno the first weekend in September.

#last #valley #home

The postseason has officially arrived for high school cross-country runners throughout the state of Oregon.
As is often the case, there are a handful of standout runners and teams from the Eugene-Springfield area who will be in contention for league and state ***** les in their respective classifications.
Here is a look at how local athletes and schools fared during OSAA cross-country district week. The state championship meet is set for Nov. 7 at Lane Community College.
When: Oct. 29
Where: Colver Sports Fields, Talent

#here

IOC president Kirsty Coventry's desire is that "politics does not take over on the field of play", but Ukraine and former executives from her organisation have told AFP that politics and sport remain inseparable.
Coventry's view will be sorely tested when Ukrainian and Russian athletes -- the nations embroiled in a war sparked by Russian President Vladimir Putin launching an invasion of Ukraine in 2022 -- compete side-by-side in the Youth Olympics which start in the Senegalese capital Dakar on Saturday.
The 13 Russian athletes will be able to parade with their national flag and hear their national anthem at an Olympic event for the first time since the 2020 Winter Youth Games in Lausanne.
The restoration of such symbols fits with the approach that Coventry indicated she would follow when she spoke at the EU Sporting Forum in Cyprus earlier this year.
"Athletes can only inspire us if they are able to compete," the Zimbabwean two-time Olympic swimming gold medallist said.

#Youth #compete

Three months after revealing plans that it would seek a jersey patch sponsorship, Wright State University announced a deal with Premier Health on Thursday, Oct. 29.
"Premier Health has stood alongside Wright State Athletics for years and this partnership is a profound statement of what that relationship means," said Wright State Athletics Director Brad Chandler in a press release. "All 14 Division I programs will now carry Premier Health on its uniform, connecting our student-athletes with the academic health system that cares for the families in our stands and across our community. We worked hard to bring the first jersey patch sponsorship in the Dayton region to life, and we're proud that it's with a partner that has always shown up for Wright State. This is about more than visibility. It's two Dayton institutions putting their names side by side and investing in the next generation."
The NCAA approved the use of jersey patches in January.
According to an NCAA press release, "Effective Aug. 1, all Division I teams will be permitted up to two additional commercial logos on their uniforms and apparel and one additional commercial logo on equipment during the preseason and regular season, with an additional commercial logo on uniforms and apparel for conference championships. The patches will be limited to a maximum of 4 square inches per logo."
The patches will debut on Monday, Nov. 2, when the Wright State men's basketball team plays Air Force in the Stars, Stripes and Flight Classic at the Nutter Center.

#wright #state #premier #patches

An Australian athlete has admitted putting others at risk by continuing to race after soiling herself during an endurance sports event.
Speaking exclusively to the BBC ahead of her return to the sport, Joanna Wietrzyk suggested her determination to win the Hyrox race in Beijing in September had clouded her judgement: "It was my decision to continue racing so I take full responsibility for that."
Challenged over why she carried on, she said: "I didn't really think about those around me… the decision that I made in hindsight was the wrong decision and I'm truly sorry for everyone that I did affect."
Joanna Wietrzyk suggested her determination to win clouded her judgement [BBC]
The 24-year-old said that the experience and subsequent backlash was "traumatic". She also said she had considered walking away from the sport, in which she holds a world record.

#sport

The pounding drums of Fogo Azul have become a familiar sound for New York City Marathon runners, and this Sunday the group will once again take its place along the course to help motivate athletes chasing the finish line.
Fogo Azul, which means "blue fire" in Portuguese, is a women-led samba reggae drumline whose mantra is simple: percussion is power.
Founder Stacy Kovacs said the group's energy is a natural match for New York.
"New York is big, we're big ..we're loud, New York is loud," Kovacs said.
The drumline has become a marathon tradition that both members and runners look forward to each year. According to Kovacs, runners can hear the band long before they arrive.

#azul #marathon #become #drumline

POTTSVILLE — Like the development of a student-athlete, success in high school football is rarely linear.
This fall, the Pottsville Crimson Tide, led by a group of 19 seniors, found that out firsthand.
Early in the season, the Crimson Tide faced what was considered at the time a brutal schedule: Shamokin, Mount Carmel, and Blue Mountain all in the first four weeks. In retrospect, that slate was not only brutal, it was the definition of a gauntlet. Those three opponents enter the final week of the regular season with a combined 25-2 record.
The Pottsville coaching staff, including head coach Mike Brennan, knew the early season was going to test the Crimson Tide and the results might not be what they desired, but that the difficult schedule would pay dividends down the road.
For many teams, it would be easy to begin tuning coaches out after you have three losses of 20 or more points in your first four games.

#season #first

Darien celebrated three state championships in girls sports last school year: field hockey, girls ice hockey and girls lacrosse.
Adriana Gromelski was an integral part of all three as she earned GametimeCT All-State First Team honors in each sport and was named GametimeCT Female Athlete of the Year.
In all, Gromelski has been part of six state **** les during her time with the Blue Wave.
"Only one team can win it. It's a moment not everyone gets to have," Gromelski said. "I'm super grateful I've gotten to experience it multiple times."
With that in mind, the senior star decided to switch sports this fall for a new high school experience. Instead of helping Darien defend its CIAC field hockey crown, Gromelski switched to soccer. It's a sport she played from elementary school through eighth grade.

#year #team

There were many standout high school football performances across northeast Louisiana from Week 7. Who gets your vote as the Monroe News-Star's football player of the week?
Below are the Week 7 nominees and a poll to vote for the athletes. You can vote on this poll as many times as you like. The poll closes at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 23.
'We couldn't ask for more': Neville shines in Franklin Parish victory

#poll

Athletes have been urged to apply for funds to help them develop and compete at international events.
Jersey Sport has opened applications for its Performance Sport Programme, with more than £100,000 available to support players, coaches and officials.
The organisation said athletes who fell into "Podium, Podium Potential, Talent Performance and Talent ID profiles" would be invited to apply for funding to support their training, competition and living costs.
Dom Blampied, from Jersey Sport, said he was "proud" of the growth of the programme, which first launched in 2024 and how it had helped sportspeople achieve their dreams.
More news stories for Jersey

#performance #talent #athletes #programme

Who was the Murfreesboro area TSSAA boys athlete of the week for Oct. 12-18?
You can vote below.
Nominees are:
Micah Nance, Blackman football: Had 15 carries for 90 yards and two touchdowns (16, 44) in a 21-14 loss to Smyrna.
Ridley Sheppard, Eagleville football: Had three receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-14 win over Huntland.

#murfreesboro #tssaa

Who was the Murfreesboro area TSSAA girls athlete of the week for Oct. 12-18?
You can vote below.
Nominees are:
Claire Morgan, Blackman soccer: Scored all three goals in a 3-0 win over Riverdale in the District 8-AAA semifinals.
Gabby Woods, Central Magnet soccer: Earned district tournament MVP awards in leading the Lady Tigers to the ***** le. She combined for three goals and an ***** ist in the tourney.

#murfreesboro #nominees #morgan #blackman

Today's guest column is by professors John Cairney and Rick Burton.
A recent New York Times story about "robot athletes" caught our collective attention in September and got us thinking about how androids will influence the future of sport business. We're well acquainted with Battlebots and drone racing but hadn't dedicated many stray brain cells to the August 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games that were held in Beijing.
More from Sportico.com
NFL Fan Streamers Can't Show Live Games. Enter Animation

#games #john #burton #times

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham sparked plenty of backlash this summer with her comments on transgender athletes in women's sports. And she doesn't seem to have any interest in staying out of the debate this offseason.
Cunningham has now weighed in on a viral protest out of Washington, where members of a high school girls' cross-country team walked off the course in protest of a transgender teammate. Cunningham offered her support for the runners.
Cunningham first drew national attention for her views on the topic in a July ESPN feature, saying she wanted to "protect women's sports."
"I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I'm like, 'I never once said that,'" Cunningham said, via ESPN. "I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."
Cunningham later doubled down on her comments, saying her opinion was "common sense."

#cunningham #comments #sports #protest

Inspired by her championship victory at the 2005 Australian Open, this is the athlete's second Barbie collaboration this year.
Serena Williams and Barbie have released a new doll inspired by one of her greatest career achievements.
Mattel announced a fresh Barbie Signature doll in her likeness. With this launch, the Compton native officially joins Team Barbie, described by the company as a group of powerful athletes and role models who show girls how confidence and ambition can help them pursue their dreams.
"As we celebrate International Day of the Girl, Barbie is proud to honor Serena Williams. Barbie has always inspired girls to believe they can be anything, from the sports stadium to the fashion runway to the boardroom," shared Nathan Baynard, Vice President and Head of Barbie, Mattel in a statement. "Serena Williams embodies that message through her extraordinary achievements as an athlete, entrepreneur, and advocate for equality. By honoring her with a Barbie Signature doll, we're celebrating a barrier-breaking icon whose legacy empowers fans everywhere to dream big and embrace their own potential."
Dressed in a green and white cutout top with mesh detailing, statement earrings, and a matching white headband and skirt, the doll also comes with a tennis racket and ball. The outfit is inspired by Williams' iconic championship victory at the 2005 Australian Open over Lindsay Davenport.

#australian #open

Mike Tyson tells PEOPLE he's "grateful" for everything that happened in his life, good and bad
The boxer took part in a new four-part Netflix docuseries TYSON revisiting his career and personal life
The former heavyweight champion says he has been free from cocaine and alcohol for 10 years
No other professional athlete has lived a wilder life than boxer Mike Tyson.
Still, the former heavyweight champion boxer says he's confused why people are still so interested in his life story, which is being uncovered once more in an upcoming four-part docuseries on Netflix called TYSON, airing Oct. 13.

#tyson #boxer #netflix #still

Angel Reese gave off bold Barbie vibes in the WNBA tunnel, wearing her Balmain dress unzipped to reveal a dangerously high-slit. Ahead of the second home game against the New York Liberty on October 7, the 24-year-old turned heads in a stunning black gown that highlighted her toned figure.
Angel Reese ? https://t.co/yYujvLUs9k pic.twitter.com/h2bCAvO273
— Athlete Vanity (AthleteVanity) October 7, 2026
Angel Reese wore a Balmain Gathered gown for the photoshoot in the WNBA tunnel on October 7. The dress featured a sleeveless cut with structured shoulders and a high mock neckline. Its most eye-catching detail was the brand's signature oversized gold zipper running diagonally across the hip and down the front.
The unzipped thigh-high slit added a bold edge to the otherwise classic dark dress. The floor-length piece also boasted gathered details around the slit, exposing her toned legs as she walked or posed. She paired it with pointed-toe black high heels that elongated her frame while maintaining the monochrome color palette.

#angel #balmain #gathered

Hollywood superstar Ben Affleck ended up using MLB legends Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan as examples of how athletes shouldn't act on camera.
All the best sports athletes have to face the camera at some point. They do it regularly for press conferences and media appearances, but those don't involve acting. For those at the very top, though, advertisements and endorsement deals mean they do have to act a little.
Some, like NBA superstar LeBron James or the NFL's Patrick Mahomes can do it well. Others have struggled with it at times. Often, they work with the biggest Hollywood superstars on such projects. Ben Affleck is among those, and he recently used two MLB stars as examples of what not to do.
Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan are two of the greatest pitchers ever. Clemens built a 24-year career with 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts and a record seven Cy Young Awards. Ryan pitched for 27 seasons, winning 324 games and setting MLB records with 5,714 strikeouts and seven no-hitters.
They were undoubtedly great at what they did. However, they weren't so good on camera, and that's exactly what Affleck pointed out.

#affleck #clemens #examples #athletes

Ash Gardner has spoken publicly for the first time about the alleged affair with teammate Georgia Voll that contributed to the breakdown of her marriage to Monica Wright.

Gardner said the situation became far more public than she expected and admitted she had been "naive" about the level of attention it would attract.

The controversy came to light earlier this year when Wright revealed the affair on social media. The relationship is believed to have begun during the Women's World Cup in India last year. Gardner has since apologised to Wright and said she has spent time reflecting on what happened.
Speaking to Australian outlet CODE Sports, Gardner acknowledged that her public image had taken a hit, saying, "My reputation has been tarnished with the public, but I guess something that I always try to strive to do when representing any team that I play in is be the best teammate that I can, and hopefully show what this team means to me when I'm playing for them."

The Australian vice-captain also said being a high-profile athlete means personal matters can attract intense public interest.

"Playing sport at a high level, you're open to having a platform, and sometimes with this comes interest from the public, and they want to know things about your personal life, and they invest, and then can make judgment either way of what you are or aren't doing."
Gardner admitted she was shocked when Wright publicly identified Voll, writing, "This is who my wife cheated on me with," alongside a photo of the teammate.

"I was certainly surprised, as you could imagine," Gardner said.

She added, "I certainly didn't expect the situation to take the path that it did, or to become as public as what it did. But I also understand that everyone has their own way of dealing with difficult situations."

Gardner said she now wants to focus on learning from the experience, having difficult conversations where necessary and moving forward with the Australian team.

She also said she understood Wright's perspective and tried to remain positive during what she described as a very difficult period.

#publicly

Ciara just turned a fashion occasion into a triple feature.
The singer made a surprise appearance at Junya Watanabe's Spring 2027 ready-to-wear show in Paris on Saturday (Oct. 3), taking the runway not once, not twice, but three times — all while proudly showing off her baby ****** p.
More from Billboard
Here's What Kim Kardashian Said About Co-Parenting With Ye Amid North's Budding Music Career
University of Oklahoma to Name New Student-Athlete Center for Toby Keith

#junya #Paris #parenting #budding