The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has effectively banned transgender women from competing in women’s events at the Olympic level, citing compliance with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
In a low-profile update to its website and a formal letter sent to national sports governing bodies, the USOPC said it is obligated to follow Trump’s February executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which warns of cutting federal funding from organizations that allow transgender athletes to participate in women’s competitions.
“As a federally chartered body, we must align with federal expectations,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes wrote. “Our revised policy stresses the need to maintain fair and safe environments for female athletes. All National Governing Bodies (NGBs) must now update their policies accordingly.”
The change comes months after the NCAA revised its own rules to restrict participation in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth. The USOPC oversees roughly 50 NGBs, including USA Swimming and USA Track and Field, many of which now face the task of adjusting their policies across both elite and grassroots levels.
USA Swimming acknowledged the new directive and is consulting with the USOPC, while USA Fencing announced a new policy — effective August 1 — allowing only athletes “of the female sex” to compete in women’s categories. Men’s events will now be open to transgender athletes and others not eligible for the women’s division.
The National Women's Law Center condemned the move, calling it politically motivated. “By caving to political pressure, the USOPC is undermining the safety and rights of its own athletes,” said the center’s president, Fatima Goss Graves.
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The issue of transgender inclusion in sports has become a flashpoint in U.S. politics, with over two dozen states enacting laws restricting transgender participation in women’s and girls’ sports. Some measures have faced legal challenges for being discriminatory.
At the international level, sports such as swimming, cycling, and track and field have adopted stricter eligibility rules that bar athletes who have undergone male puberty from competing in women’s events. The International Olympic Committee, under new president Kirsty Coventry, has emphasized preserving the integrity of the female category while allowing federations to set sport-specific rules.
Trump has been vocal about his stance, calling for sweeping changes by the IOC and labeling the issue “ridiculous.” The 2028 Summer Olympics will be hosted in Los Angeles.
Source: Agency