A college athlete who previously competed on the men’s fencing team at Wagner College has secured gold in women’s competition after switching divisions, raising questions about competitive fairness in collegiate sports.
Redmond Sullivan, who had been competing on Wagner College’s men’s fencing team as recently as October 2023, claimed victory at the Connecticut Division Junior Olympic Qualifier in the Junior Women’s Foil category this past weekend. The win comes after Sullivan placed 29th out of 58 competitors while competing in the men’s New England Division USFA Pomme De Terre tournament in June 2023.
Since transitioning to women’s competitions in November, Sullivan has seen markedly improved results, including a 3-0 victory record at the Northeast Fencing Conference Varsity Meet and winning two out of three sets at the Seahawks Invitational in December.
This is not Sullivan’s first experience competing in women’s athletics. While at Daniel Hand High School in Connecticut, Sullivan competed in girls’ track and field, winning a state championship in shot put with a throw nearly four feet further than the second-place finisher. During that same period, Sullivan also competed on the boys’ fencing team.
Marshi Smith, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sport (ICONS), criticized Wagner College’s decision as per reduxx: “The NCAA is repeatedly rewarding the replacement of women in order to champion men in women’s sports. This ongoing pattern of discrimination is why we are supporting a female athlete’s lawsuit against the organization. Legal action is necessary to hold the NCAA accountable for its repeated failures to uphold fairness and equality in women’s sports, with fencing being a particularly troubling example.”
Wagner College, which promotes itself as being “committed to stopping sex discrimination” under Title IX, has not responded to requests for comment. The college maintains various inclusive policies, including gender-inclusive facilities and pronoun respect guidelines for students.
