The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has ordered national sports federations to ban transgender women from women’s competitions, citing a February executive order from President Donald Trump titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
The USOPC quietly updated its policy on its website and later confirmed the change in a letter to governing bodies according to KTLA. The executive order threatens to rescind federal funding from any organization that allows transgender athletes to compete in women’s categories.
In the letter, USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes said, “As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations. Our revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women.”
The policy shift mirrors a similar move by the NCAA, which revised its rules one day after Trump signed the order. The NCAA now limits participation in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), under new President Kirsty Coventry, allows each sport to set its own eligibility standards. Federations governing swimming, cycling, and track and field have already adopted bans on athletes who went through male puberty. Soccer is currently reviewing its policy and may introduce testosterone-based limits.
Trump has urged the IOC to implement a global ban, calling the issue “an absolutely ridiculous subject.” Los Angeles is scheduled to host the Summer Olympic Games in 2028.
