US Olympics officials quietly bar trans women from competing in women’s sports
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US Olympics officials quietly bar trans women from competing in women’s sports
The US Olympic and Paralympic committee has in effect barred transgender women from competing in women’s sports. The USOPC told the federations overseeing swimming, athletics and other sports it has an “obligation to comply” with an executive order issued by Donald Trump. The NCAA changed its participation policy for trans 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 in the United States. 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. US Olympic officials told the national governing bodies they will need to follow suit.
The new policy, announced on 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 the US president’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 trans athlete participation in women’s sports.
US Olympic officials told the national governing bodies they will need to follow suit, adding: “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,” the 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 about 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 spokesperson 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 1 August 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 trans 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 trans 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.
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 change 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’ The national governing bodies will likely follow the USOPc’S directive.
The change, announced Monday with a quiet change on the USOPC’s website and confirmed in a letter sent to national 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 reference’s 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.
The national governing bodies will likely follow the USOPC’s directive.
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US Olympic and Paralympic Committee bans transgender athletes in compliance with Trump order
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is falling in line with an executive order from President Donald Trump banning transgender women from women’s sports. The committee quietly updated its eligibility rules Monday, adding a paragraph to its 27-page “Athlete Safety Policy” that includes language that implies it bars transgender women. It is unclear whether any American Olympians will be banned from the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics taking place in Los Angeles. No openly transgender woman has won an Olympic medal. The International Olympic Committee has struggled to address the issue of transgender athletes in sports.
The committee quietly updated its eligibility rules Monday, adding a paragraph to its 27-page “Athlete Safety Policy” posted to its website that includes language that implies it bars transgender women from competing in women’s divisions.
Trump signed the “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports” executive order — also known as Executive Order 14201 — in February.
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The LA2028 official Olympic flag at Los Angeles City Hall on September 23, 2024. Getty Images
“The USOPC will continue to collaborate with various stakeholders with oversight responsibilities, e.g., IOC, IPC, NGBs, to ensure that women have a fair and safe competition environment consistent with Executive Order 14201 and the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act,” the added language in the document stated.
It’s not clearly stated how the policy will be enforced, and it is unclear whether any American Olympians will be banned from the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics taking place in Los Angeles.
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A USOPC spokesperson told the New York Times that the committee had been having “a series of respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials” following the president’s executive order.
The committee said it would work with national governing bodies to implement the new policy.
“As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations,” the USOPC statement read.
President Donald Trump reacts after the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain. FIFA via Getty Images
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No openly transgender woman has won an Olympic medal.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s former policy based its rulings on “real data and science-based evidence rather than ideology,” and that it would be “making science-based decisions, sport by sport and discipline by discipline, within both the Olympic and Paralympic movements.”
The International Olympic Committee has struggled to address the issue of transgender athletes in sports.
USA Fencing updated its policy last week in response to criticism that it had been facing for allowing biological males to compete in the women’s category.
Part of the requirements to compete in a domestic women’s competition include the language, “Athletes who are of the female sex, provided all other entry criteria have been met.”
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic officials bar transgender women from Olympic women’s sports
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic officials bar transgender women from Olympic women’s sports. The change follows a similar step taken by the NCAA earlier this year. The USOPC says it has an “obligation to comply” with an executive order issued by President Trump. More than two dozen states have enacted laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports.. The International Olympic Committee has allowed individual sports federations to set their own rules on the topic. The NCAA changed its participation policy for transgender athletes to limit competition to athletes assigned female at birth. The IOC is reviewing its eligibility rules for women and could set limits on testosterone.
toggle caption Luigi Costantini/AP
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has effectively barred transgender women from competing in women’s sports, telling the federations overseeing swimming, athletics and other sports it has an “obligation to comply” with an executive order issued by President Trump.
The change, announced Monday with a quiet change on the USOPC’s website and confirmed in a letter sent to national governing bodies, follows a similar step taken by the NCAA earlier this year.
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The USOPC change is noted obliquely as a detail under “USOPC Athlete Safety Policy” and reference’s 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 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.
Sponsor Message
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. 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.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/22/us-olympics-paralympics-trans-women