Team USA and USA Cycling have publicly distanced themselves from Chelsea Wolfe after social media posts in which she celebrated the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk and a widely shared video that appears to show a cyclist, identified online as Wolfe, directing obscene threats at a female protester.
Wolfe, whom some outlets have described as the first openly transgender U.S. Olympian, shared multiple messages on Instagram that celebrated Kirk’s death and included statements such as “We did it!” in an Instagram story that reposted a report about the assassination. Other stories attributed to Wolfe included the lines “Being a Nazi is completely optional btw” and “He didn’t have to do all that, but he did and now he’s dead,” according to copies of the posts. Those posts appeared seconds after a media interview in which Kirk was asked about transgender mass shooters.
A video shared on the social media platform X by the account WomenAreReal shows a rider in cycling gear confronting a group of women holding signs that read “No males in female cycling.” In the video, the rider repeatedly tells one woman to “go suck a sawn-off shotgun” and is heard saying, “We don’t f–k with fascists. That’s how we feel about Nazis around these parts. This is America. We kill Nazis,” according to the account and the clip. The video was viewed more than 2.5 million times after it was posted, according to the X post.
USA Cycling issued a statement to media distancing the organization from Wolfe’s remarks. “The views of current and former national team athletes are their own and do not reflect those of USA Cycling. Chelsea Wolfe has not been a member of the USA Cycling National Team or a member of USA Cycling since 2023,” a spokesperson told Fox News. Team USA also disavowed the social-media celebrations through internal and public channels, emphasizing that individual athletes’ statements do not represent the national governing body.
Wolfe’s competitive status has been the subject of controversy in recent years. The international cycling federation effectively barred transgender athletes from competing in women’s competitions in 2023; Wolfe has not been a member of the U.S. national team since that time. Media reports and archived social-media posts indicate Wolfe began competing as an amateur after undergoing a gender transition in 2014.
Wolfe previously drew attention for a 2020 Facebook post in which she wrote, “My goal is to win the Olympics so I can burn a US flag on the podium,” while criticizing the country’s treatment of transgender youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. That post resurfaced in coverage following the latest social-media activity.
Attempts to reach Wolfe for comment were unsuccessful. A spokesperson for the account that posted the video on X did not immediately respond to requests for additional information. Media outlets reporting on the posts say some of the Instagram stories later reshared other posts labeling Kirk a fascist and arguing against publicly mourning him.
The episode comes amid a broader national debate over transgender participation in women’s sports, athlete conduct on social media and the responsibilities of sport governing bodies. In recent years, several sports organizations have revised eligibility rules for transgender athletes, prompting legal and political disputes. USA Cycling’s statement reiterated that the governing body does not endorse individual athletes’ views and noted Wolfe has not been affiliated with the national team since 2023.
Conservative commentators and some advocacy groups condemned the social-media posts and the video, while other social-media users defended Wolfe’s right to express anger at public figures they view as promoting harmful policies. Coverage of the incident has shown the polarizing nature of controversies at the intersection of sports, gender identity and politics.
The investigation into the circumstances of the video and the provenance of the Instagram stories remains in the public record as outlets seek confirmation of authorship and timing. USA Cycling and Team USA said they would not comment further beyond their initial statements. The matter is likely to continue drawing attention from media organizations, advocacy groups and officials monitoring conduct by athletes who have national profiles.