Caitlyn Jenner won’t be stripped of Olympic gold medal

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has responded to a petition calling on Caitlyn Jenner’s 1976 Olympic gold medal to be revoked.

Jenner, known then as Bruce, won her record-breaking decathlon medal during the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

After Jenner appeared as Caitlyn on the cover of Vanity Fair on Monday, a cynical, or perhaps intended-to-be-humorous, petition was launched on Change.org, calling on the IOC to revoke the medal or for Jenner to give it up herself.

According to the petition, “Ms. Jenner (as talented as she is) claims that she has always believed herself to be truly female, and therefore, was in violation of committee rules regarding women competing in men’s sports and vice versa.”

It stated that, “Bruce Jenner was, in fact, a woman participating in a men’s event,” and that, “It is only fair to all involved that women receive their credit as champions of the Decathalon and that the men racing Ms. Jenner are not expected to compete with a superior, streamlined being such as herself.”

Despite the absurdity of the petition, it’s been signed by almost 14,000 people.

IOC Communications Director Mark Adams (who continued to refer to Jenner as male) has now commented, telling Yahoo that the reality TV star and former athlete would keep her medal.

“Bruce Jenner won his gold medal in the 1976 Olympic Games and there is no issue for the IOC,” said Adams.

Meanwhile, some sports fans have reacted angrily to news that Jenner will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at next month’s ESPY Awards.

ESPY Executive Producer Maura Mandt said that Jenner “has shown the courage to embrace a truth that had been hidden for years, and to embark on a journey that may not only give comfort to those facing similar circumstances, but can also help to educate people on the challenges that the transgender community faces.”

Critics weren’t impressed, with some claiming that Jenner was not deserving of the award and had been chosen for the honour ahead of double amputee army veteran Noah Galloway and 19-year-old basketball player and cancer fund raiser Lauren Hill, who recently died of brain cancer.

ESPN, which organises the awards, explained in a statement: “At all times, there are many worthy candidates. This year, we are proud to honour Caitlyn Jenner embracing her identity and doing so in a public way to help move forward a constructive dialogue about progress and acceptance.”

In her own statement, Jenner said: “Being honoured with this award, which is named after one of my heroes, is truly special. For the first time this July, I will be able to stand as my true self in front of my peers.”