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The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) on Monday revised its eligibility policies to bar transgender athletes from competing in women’s divisions, citing alignment with an executive order issued earlier this year by President Donald Trump.
The change, included in an update to the USOPC’s 27-page “Athlete Safety Policy,” directly references Executive Order 14201, which was signed by Trump in February and aims to “protect opportunities for women and girls to compete in safe and fair sports.”
“The USOPC will continue to collaborate with various stakeholders with oversight responsibilities … 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 revised policy states.
While the updated language does not explicitly mention transgender athletes, the committee confirmed to The New York Times that the change followed consultations with the Trump administration.
“As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations,” the USOPC said in a statement.
The announcement comes as the United States prepares to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. It remains unclear how the rule will be enforced during international competition or how it will impact U.S.-based athletes seeking to qualify under differing standards used by global governing bodies.
The decision reflects a broader shift in sports governance under the Trump administration, which has prioritized policies focused on separating competition based on biological sex.
U.S. Fencing recently implemented similar restrictions, banning transgender women from competing in women’s events, though it does not prohibit biological women from competing in men’s divisions. Nonbinary athletes in fencing are also limited to competing against biological men.
The USOPC has not announced when the new eligibility rule will take effect.
Trump’s order extends beyond high school and college athletics by directing the U.S. government to deny visas to transgender females seeking to compete in American events. The executive order instructs the State Department to urge the International Olympic Committee to revise its current policy, which permits transgender athletes to compete under guidelines designed to prevent unfair advantages.