A transgender BMX freestyle rider who served as an Olympic alternate for Team USA is facing widespread condemnation after posting messages on social media that appeared to celebrate the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, prompting USA Cycling to stress that the athlete is no longer affiliated with its national-team program and that her views do not represent the organization. Chelsea Wolfe, 32, shared an Instagram Story overlaying a news report of Kirk’s killing with the caption “We did it!” and subsequently posted additional remarks that critics called “sick” and “depraved,” according to multiple outlets that captured the disappearing posts before they expired.
In a statement released after the posts drew attention, USA Cycling said the opinions of “current and former national team athletes are their own and do not reflect those of USA Cycling,” and added: “Chelsea Wolfe has not been a member of the USA Cycling National Team or a member of USA Cycling since 2023.” The federation’s message followed a surge of complaints sent to the governing body after screenshots of Wolfe’s Instagram Stories circulated widely. AOL, amplifying the federation’s response, reported that the distancing language came amid calls for cycling authorities to take a harder line with former representatives who comment on acts of political violence.
The posts attributed to Wolfe went beyond a single caption. Fox News Digital reported the Instagram sequence included a black screen with the line “the ‘find out’ era looks good on him,” and a separate selfie accompanied by text that described Kirk as a “Nazi.” OutKick, which also reviewed the Stories, said one clip paired the “We did it!” sticker with a news graphic about the shooting, while another added taunting commentary about the circumstances of Kirk’s death. The Times of India similarly summarized the content, highlighting the slur and noting the backlash from prominent sports figures. Wolfe did not issue a public apology; later activity captured by Fox showed a meme reading, “Your boos mean nothing. I’ve seen what makes you cheer.”
The reaction was immediate and came from across sport and media. GB News reported that the comments drew thousands of critical replies within hours, with posts labeling the messages “vile” and urging a formal ban from any future national-team activities. ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith condemned celebrations of the killing in a segment aggregated by AOL, saying people who “cheer a man’s death” should be “ashamed,” remarks that aired as screenshots of Wolfe’s Stories spread on X and Instagram. Women’s sport campaigners also weighed in; while they did not speak for cycling’s authorities, they called the posts an affront to athletes who advocate nonviolence in public discourse.