March 13 (Reuters) - Olympic bobsledder Kaillie Humphries, who switched competitive allegiance from Canada to the U.S. in 2019, is facing backlash online after presenting President Donald Trump with the Order of Ikkos this week and praising him for the impact she said he has had on women's sport.
The Order of Ikkos, named after the first recorded Olympic coach in ancient Greece, was created by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee in 2008 and is presented by Team USA medal-winning athletes to a coach, mentor or other individual who has been instrumental in their success.
The 40-year-old Humphries, who won two bronze medals at last month's Milano Cortina Olympics, got emotional while presenting the medal to Trump during a White House event on Thursday honoring women.
"I want to recognise the support and the impact you've had on women's sports throughout the Olympic movement. Specifically, standing up to keep biological women in women's sports, to keep the field of play safe and allow for fair competition," said Humphries.
"Furthermore, because your policies are creating greater access to IVF, so families like mine can continue to grow as I look to expand my family again. I believe this actually makes you the first president in history to ever be awarded an Order of Ikkos. So, thank you."
Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 to exclude transgender girls and women from female-designated sporting competitions. He signed another order that month to expand access to IVF and reduce the costs of the popular fertility treatment.
After Humphries finished her speech and posed for photos with Trump she returned to the microphone: "Isn't he just the best? He's the best."
Trump, who looked surprised at being awarded the medal, responded: "I knew I liked her."
As video of the presentation circulated online, a number of users took aim at Humphries.
One X user said "I'm embarrassed for Canada. You can keep her" while another wrote "Thank goodness she doesn't compete for Canada any longer."
Humphries later responded to the criticism, saying she respected differing views but would ignore hostility directed at her.
"I'm used to having a target on my back as a top athlete," she said when asked for comment.
"I understand people have their own personal beliefs, they can believe what they believe and so will I. It's ok to have different opinions, but when it turns to hate or wishing harm that's when I choose to ignore."
Humphries won Olympic gold for Canada in the two-woman bobsled events at Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi four years later, as well as a bronze at Pyeongchang in 2018, before switching allegiance to the U.S. She went on to win the first-ever Olympic gold in monobob for the United States at the 2022 Winter Games before adding to her Olympic medal collection last month.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
