The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has banned transgender biological males from competing in women’s events to comply with the executive order issued by President Donald Trump.
The committee announced the change on Monday after informing the national sport governing bodies that it has an “obligation to comply” with Trump’s February “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” Executive Order 14201, which requires federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funding to enforce sex-based distinctions in sports.
The new “Athlete Safety Policy” references the order directly, without naming it.
“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 document says.
Under the new rules, athletes must compete in the category corresponding to their biological sex at birth.
NBC News reports:
It’s unclear whether any Olympians would be banned from competition for the 2028 Olympics under the updated policy.
American middle-distance runner Nikki Hiltz, who is nonbinary, would presumably not be affected by the ruling because they were assigned female at birth. Hiltz finished seventh in the women’s 1,500-meter race in the 2024 Paris Games.
No athlete has won an Olympic medal while competing as an openly transgender woman.
The committee has not stated if the policy will also apply to men’s sports.
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