In a sweeping policy shift aligned with a recent federal directive, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has officially barred transgender women from competing in women’s events at the Olympics and Paralympics.The ban, effective July 21, 2025, stems directly from President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” The USOPC updated its Athlete Safety Policy with a new subsection titled “Additional Requirements,” referencing both the executive order and the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“The USOPC is committed to protecting opportunities for athletes participating in sport,” the policy states. “We will continue to collaborate with stakeholders… to ensure women have a fair and safe competition environment consistent with Executive Order 14201.”In a memo, USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes told Team USA athletes: “As a federally chartered organisation, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations.”
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Trump’s executive order, issued in February 2025, mandates that any school or institution permitting transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports will risk losing federal funding. It requires the immediate enforcement of single-sex sports teams and locker rooms, citing Title IX protections for women’s sports.“Our revised policy emphasises the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women,” the USOPC reiterated in its message to national governing bodies, urging all affiliated organisations to align with the new standards.The decision also mirrors changes within the NCAA, which recently revised its transgender participation rules to restrict women’s competitions to athletes assigned female at birth.The timing of the policy change is significant, as Los Angeles prepares to host the 2028 Summer Olympics.
