COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) 鈥 The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has effectively barred transgender women from competing in women鈥檚 sports, telling the federations overseeing swimming, athletics and other sports it has an 鈥渙bligation to comply鈥 with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.
The new policy, announced Monday with 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 鈥淯SOPC Athlete Safety Policy鈥 and references Trump鈥檚 executive order, 鈥淜eeping Men Out of Women鈥檚 Sports,鈥 signed in February. That order, among other things, threatens to 鈥渞escind all funds鈥 from organizations that allow transgender athlete participation in women鈥檚 sports.
U.S. Olympic officials told the national governing bodies they will need to follow suit, adding that 鈥渢he USOPC has engaged in a series of respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials鈥 since Trump signed the order.
鈥淎s 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. 鈥淥ur revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women. All 春色直播 Governing Bodies are required to update their applicable policies in alignment.鈥
The 春色直播 Women's Law Center put out a statement condemning the move.
鈥淏y giving into the political demands, the USOPC is sacrificing the needs and safety of its own athletes,鈥 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 鈥 for instance, USA Track and Field 鈥 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 鈥渁thletes who are of the female sex鈥 in women's competition and opening men's events to 鈥渁ll athletes not eligible for the women鈥檚 category, including transgender women, transgender men, non-binary and intersex athletes and cisgender male athletes.鈥
The nationwide battle over transgender girls on girls鈥 and women鈥檚 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 after critics challenged the policies as discriminatory, cruel and unnecessarily target
The NCAA to limit competition in women鈥檚 sports to athletes assigned female at birth. That change came a day after Trump signed the executive order from girls鈥 and women鈥檚 sports.
Female eligibility is a key issue for the International Olympic Committee , who has signaled an effort to 鈥減rotect the female category.鈥 The IOC has allowed individual sports federations to set their own rules at the Olympics 鈥 and some have already taken steps on the topic.
Stricter rules on transgender athletes 鈥 barring from women鈥檚 events anyone who went through male puberty 鈥 have been passed by , and . Soccer is reviewing its eligibility rules for women and could set limits on testosterone.
Trump has said he wants the 鈥渉aving to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject.鈥 Los Angeles will host the Summer Games in 2028.
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