Athletes

Did Andy Reid, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, publicly say that "If you kneel for the national anthem, you should lose your Olympic medal"? No, that's not true: An AI detection tool says it is highly likely that the article containing the statement was generated using artificial intelligence. Lead Stories didn't find any record of a press conference…

Did American basketball player Brittney Griner make a public statement announcing she is leaving the United States? No, that's not true: Griner's long-time agent refuted the claim in an email to Lead Stories and there are no stories about any such announcement on any news websites. The rumor first appeared in an AI-generated article published by what appeared to be…

Is Algerian boxer Imane Khelif a man who transitioned to be a woman? No, that's not true: International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach publicly said that Khelif's case is the case of somebody "being born, raised, competed and having a passport as a woman", which is the Olympic standard for determination of gender. According to the athlete's own words, she…

Did Irish professional boxer Kellie Harrington say she would refuse to compete against "biological males" at the Paris 2024 Olympics? No, that's not true: The Olympic Federation of Ireland told Lead Stories on August 2, 2024, that Harrington "does not recollect a conversation about this," and that there is no record of Harrington making any such statement. Lead Stories also…

Does a swimmer on the 2024 Japanese Olympic team, Yokasi Maogo, have a name that sounds like the phrase "I almost drowned" in Spanish? No, that's not true: There is no swimmer by that name on Japan's Olympic swimming team. While "Yo casi me ahogo" does mean "I almost drowned" in Spanish, it's not a coincidence, as the name is…

Do photos show Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni scowling in response to two female athletes kissing at the Olympics? No, that's not true: News agency video proves that the photos were taken at a volleyball match. Italy's Alice Bellandi celebrated her gold medal win in women's judo by kissing her partner and fellow judoka, Jasmine Martin. The claim appeared in…

Does a video show an Olympic Games athlete vomit as a direct result of swimming in Paris' Seine? No, that's not true: The athlete shown throwing up after his triathlon faulted the Parisian heat rather than the Seine. Although the river's water quality was poor in the days preceding the triathlon, there is no evidence that it caused Olympic athletes…

Does a picture going viral on social media show Israeli swimmers making the phrase "Bring them home now" with their bodies during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics? No, that's not true: The photo was taken in 2023 and posted to social media at that time. Also, it was taken at a pool in Israel, more than 2,600 miles from the…

Is Nikki Hiltz a biological man as a post on X claimed? No, that's not true: Hiltz was assigned female at birth. Hiltz has openly identified as transgender and nonbinary, opting for they/them gender pronouns, since 2021. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X, formerly known as Twitter, on July 2, 2024. Above an image of Hiltz…

Is a photo showing hockey fans spelling out "FUCK TRUDEAU" with placards authentic? No, that's not true: The sign spelled out by fans at a Stanley Cup game actually read "BELIEVE," and was digitally edited. Two different publications posted the original photo with the sign reading "BELIEVE." An online news search did not yield any evidence of a sign with…