U.S. Olympic Committee effectively bars transgender women from competing in Olympic women’s sports
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USOPC effectively bars transgender women from women’s sports
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee updated its policies to allow transgender athletes to be barred without using the word “transgender.” In a letter sent Tuesday, the USOPC’s top leaders said that federal law requires them to abide by Trump”s “Keeping Men Out of Women” executive order from February. “As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations,” the letter noted.
“As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations,” the letter noted. “The guidance we’ve received aligns with the Ted Stevens Act, reinforcing our mandated responsibility to promote athlete safety and competitive fairness.”
The Ted Stevens Act from 1978 established the U.S. Olympic Committee and its system of sports governing bodies.
The letter, signed by Chief Executive Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes, points to the USOPC’s updated athlete safety policy, which now includes a paragraph that says the organization will work with U.S. Olympic sport governing bodies “to ensure that women have a fair and safe competition environment.” The paragraph goes on to refer to Trump’s executive order and the Ted Stevens Act.
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The letter from Hirshland and Sykes also says, “Our revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women” — and it instructs sport governing bodies to “update their applicable policies in alignment.”
Maintaining strong relations with the Trump administration is important for the USOPC, which needs federal support as it plans to host the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028. Several of Trump’s executive orders could keep athletes, coaches and fans from some countries from coming to the L.A. Games, and while USOPC officials say the administration has promised to abide by Olympic policies that might conflict with Trump edicts, the USOPC has spoken positively and carefully about the president.
US Olympic and Paralympic officials bar transgender women from competing in Olympic women’s sports
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has effectively barred transgender women from competing in women’s sports. The USOPC says it has an “obligation to comply” with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. The NCAA changed its participation policy for transgender athletes to limit competition to athletes assigned female at birth. That change came a day after Trump signed the executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.. The National Women’S Law Center put out a statement condemning the move. The IOC has allowed individual sports federations to set their own rules at the Olympics. Some of those organizations — for instance, USA Track and Field — have long followed guidelines set by their own world federation. The International Olympic Committee under its new president, Kirsty Coventry, has signaled an effort to “protect the female category”
The new policy, announced Monday with a quiet change on the USOPC’s website and confirmed in a letter sent to national sport governing bodies, follows a similar step taken by the NCAA earlier this year.
The USOPC change is noted obliquely as a detail under “USOPC Athlete Safety Policy” and references Trump’s executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” signed in February. That order, among other things, threatens to “rescind all funds” from organizations that allow transgender athlete participation in women’s sports.
U.S. Olympic officials told the national governing bodies they will need to follow suit, adding that “the USOPC has engaged in a series of respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials” since Trump signed the order.
“As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes wrote in a letter. “Our revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women. All National Governing Bodies are required to update their applicable policies in alignment.”
The National Women’s Law Center put out a statement condemning the move.
“By giving into the political demands, the USOPC is sacrificing the needs and safety of its own athletes,” said that organization’s president and CEO, Fatima Goss Graves.
The USOPC oversees around 50 national governing bodies, most of which play a role in everything from the grassroots to elite levels of their sports. That raises the possibility that rules might need to be changed at local sports clubs to retain their memberships in the NGBs.
Some of those organizations — for instance, USA Track and Field — have long followed guidelines set by their own world federation. World Athletics is considering changes to its policies that would mostly fall in line with Trump’s order.
A USA Swimming spokesman said the federation had been made aware of the USOPC’s change and was consulting with the committee to figure out what changes it needs to make. USA Fencing changed its policy effective Aug. 1 to allow only “athletes who are of the female sex” in women’s competition and opening men’s events to “all athletes not eligible for the women’s category, including transgender women, transgender men, non-binary and intersex athletes and cisgender male athletes.”
The nationwide battle over transgender girls on girls’ and women’s sports teams has played out at both the state and federal levels as Republicans portray the issue as a fight for athletic fairness. More than two dozen states have enacted laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some policies have been blocked in court by those who say the policies are discriminatory, cruel and unnecessarily target a tiny niche of athletes.
The NCAA changed its participation policy for transgender athletes to limit competition in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth. That change came a day after Trump signed the executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.
Female eligibility is a key issue for the International Olympic Committee under its new president, Kirsty Coventry, who has signaled an effort to “protect the female category.” The IOC has allowed individual sports federations to set their own rules at the Olympics — and some have already taken steps on the topic.
Stricter rules on transgender athletes — barring from women’s events anyone who went through male puberty — have been passed by swimming, cycling and track and field. Soccer is reviewing its eligibility rules for women and could set limits on testosterone.
Trump has said he wants the IOC to change everything “having to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject.” Los Angeles will host the Summer Games in 2028.
AP Sports: https://apnews.com/sports
USOPC Bars Transgender Women From Competing in Olympic Women’s Sports
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has effectively barred transgender women from women’s sports. The change is noted as a detail under “USOPC Athlete Safety Policy.” The executive order signed in February threatens to “rescind all funds” from organizations that allow transgender athlete participation in women’s sports. U.s. Olympic officials told the national governing bodies they will need to follow suit, adding that “the USOPC has engaged in a series of respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials”
The USOPC change is noted as a detail under “USOPC Athlete Safety Policy.” The executive order signed in February threatens to “rescind all funds” from organizations that allow transgender athlete participation in women’s sports. U.S. Olympic officials told the national governing bodies they will need to follow suit, adding that “the USOPC has engaged in a series of respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials” since Trump signed the order.
“As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations,” USOPC Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes wrote in a letter. “Our revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women. All National Governing Bodies are required to update their applicable policies in alignment.”
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The change was first noted by The New York Times. Female eligibility is a key issue for the International Olympic Committee under its new president, Kirsty Coventry, who has signaled an effort to “protect the female category.” The IOC has allowed individual sports federations to set their own rules at the Olympics in the past.
A USA Swimming spokesman told The Associated Press it had been made aware of the USOPC’s change and was consulting with the committee to figure out what changes it needs to make. USA Fencing changed its policy effective August 1 to allow only “athletes who are of the female sex” in women’s competition and opening men’s events to “all athletes not eligible for the women’s category, including transgender women, transgender men, non-binary and intersex athletes and cisgender male athletes.”
The USOPC oversees around 50 national governing bodies, most of which play a role in everything from the grassroots to elite levels of their sports. The Associated Press noted that it raises the possibility that rules might need to be changed at local sports clubs to retain their memberships in the NGBs.
“By giving into the political demands, the USOPC is sacrificing the needs and safety of its own athletes,” said National Women’s Law Center President and CEO Fatima Goss Graves.
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee says sports must comply with Trump’s order on transgender athletes
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has effectively barred transgender women from competing in women’s sports. The change follows a similar step taken by the NCAA earlier this year. The National Women’s Law Center put out a statement condemning the move. Some policies have been blocked in court by those who say the policies are discriminatory, cruel and unnecessarily target a tiny niche of athletes. The Supreme Court agreed earlier this month to hear a case over transgender athletes from participating in girls and women’ssports and the Department of Education filed a civil lawsuit against the California University of Education. The University of Pennsylvania said it would ban women’s participating in its sports teams that “force girls to compete against” boys in state athletic events. The NCAA changed its policy to limit women’s participation in state competition to those who are of the female sex at the birth of the child. It’s unclear how the change announced by USOPC would impact Nikki Hiltz, a middle-distance runner from California who uses they/them pronouns.
The new policy, announced Monday with a quiet change on the USOPC’s website and confirmed in a letter sent to national sport governing bodies, follows a similar step taken by the NCAA earlier this year.
The USOPC change is noted obliquely as a detail under “USOPC Athlete Safety Policy” and references Mr. Trump’s executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” signed in February. That order, among other things, threatens to “rescind all funds” from organizations that allow transgender athlete participation in women’s sports.
U.S. Olympic officials told the national governing bodies they will need to follow suit, adding that “the USOPC has engaged in a series of respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials” since Mr. Trump signed the order.
“As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes wrote in a letter. “Our revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women. All National Governing Bodies are required to update their applicable policies in alignment.”
At the 2024 Olympics in Paris, just one openly transgender U.S. athlete competed. Nikki Hiltz, a middle-distance runner from California who uses they/them pronouns, was assigned female at birth. It’s unclear how the change announced by USOPC would impact Hiltz.
At a USOPC meeting in April, Hirshland said that the committee had no plans to define eligibility criteria ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“So typically speaking at an international level, the international federations will define eligibility criteria for the events in which they own jurisdiction, world Cups, world Championships, et cetera, and the national governing bodies domestically would define eligibility criteria for their events,” Hirshland said at the time. “In some cases those may be elite level events, national championships and things. In other cases those may be lower level grassroots youth sport competitions and things of that nature. So we do not have, nor will we have an eligibility policy, it wouldn’t be appropriate, it’s not our role to take on that position.”
The National Women’s Law Center put out a statement condemning the move.
“By giving into the political demands, the USOPC is sacrificing the needs and safety of its own athletes,” said that organization’s president and CEO, Fatima Goss Graves.
The USOPC oversees around 50 national governing bodies, most of which play a role in everything from the grassroots to elite levels of their sports. That raises the possibility that rules might need to be changed at local sports clubs to retain their memberships in the NGBs.
Some of those organizations — for instance, USA Track and Field — have long followed guidelines set by their own world federation. World Athletics is considering changes to its policies that would mostly fall in line with Mr. Trump’s order.
A USA Swimming spokesman said the federation had been made aware of the USOPC’s change and was consulting with the committee to figure out what changes it needs to make. USA Fencing changed its policy effective Aug. 1 to allow only “athletes who are of the female sex” in women’s competition and opening men’s events to “all athletes not eligible for the women’s category, including transgender women, transgender men, non-binary and intersex athletes and cisgender male athletes.”
The nationwide battle over transgender athletes on girls’ and women’s sports teams has played out at both the state and federal levels as Republicans portray the issue as a fight for athletic fairness. More than two dozen states have enacted laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some policies have been blocked in court by those who say the policies are discriminatory, cruel and unnecessarily target a tiny niche of athletes.
The Supreme Court earlier this month agreed to hear a case over whether states can prohibit transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
Also earlier this month, the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against California’s Department of Education and a nongovernmental sports organization alleging that they violated federal civil rights laws, including Title IX, by implementing policies that “force girls to compete against boys” in state athletic events.
The NCAA changed its participation policy for transgender athletes to limit competition in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth. That change came a day after Mr. Trump signed the executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.
Earlier this month, the University of Pennsylvania said it would ban transgender women from participating in its women’s sports teams as part of an agreement to resolve Title IX violations. The Trump administration had opened an investigation into the school for allowing Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, to compete for its women’s swimming team in 2021 and 2022.
Female eligibility is a key issue for the International Olympic Committee under its new president, Kirsty Coventry, who has signaled an effort to “protect the female category.” The IOC has allowed individual sports federations to set their own rules at the Olympics — and some have already taken steps on the topic.
Stricter rules on transgender athletes — barring from women’s events anyone who went through male puberty — have been passed by swimming, cycling and track and field. Soccer is reviewing its eligibility rules for women and could set limits on testosterone.
Mr. Trump has said he wants the IOC to change everything “having to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject.”
As he took office earlier this year, the president signed an executive order declaring that it is the policy of the federal government to only recognize “two sexes, male and female.” Mr. Trump campaigned on the issue and spent tens of millions of dollars on political ads that focused on transgender rights.
contributed to this report.
U.S. Olympic team bars transgender women from women’s sports
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has barred transgender women from competing in women’s sports. The committee is citing an executive order from President Donald Trump. The order, signed in February, threatens to cut funding for organizations allowing transgender athletes in women’s sports. National governing bodies for various sports like swimming and track and field are expected to comply with the directive. The National Women’s Law Center put out a statement condemning the USOPC’s move, saying it is “sacrificing the needs and safety of its own athletes” The NCAA changed its participation policy for transgender athletes to limit competition to athletes assigned female at birth earlier this year, a day after Trump signed the executive order. The International Olympic Committee has signaled an effort to “protect the female category” at the Olympics. the IOC has allowed the individual sports federations to set their own rules on the topic, and some have already taken steps on the issue, such as swimming and cycling.
What You Need To Know The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has barred transgender women from competing in women’s sports. The committee is citing an executive order from President Donald Trump The order, signed in February, threatens to cut funding for organizations allowing transgender athletes in women’s sports The policy is listed under the USOPC Athlete Safety Policy and follows a similar move by the NCAA earlier this year National governing bodies for various sports like swimming and track and field are expected to comply with the directive
The new policy, announced Monday with a quiet change on the USOPC’s website and confirmed in a letter sent to national sport governing bodies, follows a similar step taken by the NCAA earlier this year.
The USOPC change is noted obliquely as a detail under “USOPC Athlete Safety Policy” and references Trump’s executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” signed in February. That order, among other things, threatens to “rescind all funds” from organizations that allow transgender athlete participation in women’s sports.
U.S. Olympic officials told the national governing bodies they will need to follow suit, adding that “the USOPC has engaged in a series of respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials” since Trump signed the order.
“As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes wrote in a letter. “Our revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women. All National Governing Bodies are required to update their applicable policies in alignment.”
The National Women’s Law Center put out a statement condemning the move.
“By giving into the political demands, the USOPC is sacrificing the needs and safety of its own athletes,” said that organization’s president and CEO, Fatima Goss Graves.
The USOPC oversees around 50 national governing bodies, most of which play a role in everything from the grassroots to elite levels of their sports. That raises the possibility that rules might need to be changed at local sports clubs to retain their memberships in the NGBs.
Some of those organizations — for instance, USA Track and Field — have long followed guidelines set by their own world federation. World Athletics is considering changes to its policies that would mostly fall in line with Trump’s order.
A USA Swimming spokesman said the federation had been made aware of the USOPC’s change and was consulting with the committee to figure out what changes it needs to make. USA Fencing changed its policy effective Aug. 1 to allow only “athletes who are of the female sex” in women’s competition and opening men’s events to “all athletes not eligible for the women’s category, including transgender women, transgender men, non-binary and intersex athletes and cisgender male athletes.”
The nationwide battle over transgender girls on girls’ and women’s sports teams has played out at both the state and federal levels as Republicans portray the issue as a fight for athletic fairness. More than two dozen states have enacted laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some policies have been blocked in court by those who say the policies are discriminatory, cruel and unnecessarily target a tiny niche of athletes.
The NCAA changed its participation policy for transgender athletes to limit competition in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth. That change came a day after Trump signed the executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.
Female eligibility is a key issue for the International Olympic Committee under its new president, Kirsty Coventry, who has signaled an effort to “protect the female category.” The IOC has allowed individual sports federations to set their own rules at the Olympics — and some have already taken steps on the topic.
Stricter rules on transgender athletes — barring from women’s events anyone who went through male puberty — have been passed by swimming, cycling and track and field. Soccer is reviewing its eligibility rules for women and could set limits on testosterone.
Trump has said he wants the IOC to change everything “having to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject.” Los Angeles will host the Summer Games in 2028.