Olympic Gold Medalist Says She Would Only Wrestle A Man ‘In Practice’

An Olympic gold medalist in women’s wrestling spoke out about the transgender debate in women’s sports, saying she would only compete against a man during practice, not during an actual competition.

Tamyra Mensah-Stock won gold in women’s freestyle wrestling at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

“No, thank goodness. But I know a few people that have,” Mensah-Stock told Fox News when asked whether she had ever competed against a man.

“Would I get on the mat with somebody who is a biological male? Well, I’ll just say this. I’ve wrestled plenty of guys in practice, and I will only wrestle them in practice,” she said ahead of the FOX Nation Patriot Awards Sunday night in Brookville, New York.

“Cause wrestling men is very, very difficult even when they’re 20 pounds smaller than me,” Mensah-Stock added. “So if like they’re the same weight as me — I just keep it in practice.”

This is Tamyra Mensah-Stock

Team USA Wrestling Gold Medalist

And this answer she gave is probably why you’re not hearing about her accomplishment. pic.twitter.com/isSPCRzMUg

— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) August 3, 2021

Moments after becoming an Olympic champion in Tokyo, Mensah-Stock draped herself in an American flag and joyfully expressed her patriotism.

“I love representing the U.S.,” she said, hugging the flag around herself. “I freaking love living there, I love it, and I’m so happy I get to represent USA! I love it!”

Mensah-Stock now has a contract with Word Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

The issue of trans-identifying men in women’s sports has ignited backlash internationally in recent years.

Female athletes in high school, college, and professional divisions have spoken out against women playing with and competing against men, citing safety concerns as well as fairness in competition.

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During the Paris Games this past summer, two boxers who tested XY on chromosome tests were fiercely criticized for fighting and beating two biologically female boxers.

Last month, a high school girls’ volleyball team forfeited a California state playoff game — and their season — over a trans-identifying male player on the opposing team, the girls’ school calling the decision “heartbreaking.”

Two-thirds of Americans now say trans-identifying male athletes should “never” or only “in rare cases” be allowed to compete on girls’ sports teams, according to a Los Angeles Times survey from earlier this year.

The momentum against trans-identifying men in women’s sports has caused some organizations to ban biological males from participating.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which governs sports at more than 240 small colleges, announced a new policy in April banning trans-identifying male athletes from playing on women’s teams.

The backlash to biological men in girls’ sports was also a driving force during the presidential election cycle this year, with President-elect Donald Trump frequently mentioning the issue at his campaign rallies.