The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee has revised its athlete safety policy to align with a directive issued by President Donald Trump, effectively prohibiting transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
This marks a significant shift in policy, bringing the committee in line with other organizations that have adopted similar bans.
Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order, announced in February, is at the center of the policy update.
The New York Times first reported the USOPC’s compliance with the order.
Although the updated 27-page athlete safety document avoids explicitly mentioning transgender individuals, it includes a carefully worded reference to Trump’s directive.
The passage stated, “The USOPC is committed to protecting opportunities for athletes participating in sport. 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, 36 U.S.C § 22501, et. seq.”
Responding to inquiries about the update, the USOPC provided CNN with a letter from CEO Sarah Hirshland and president Gene Sykes, addressed to stakeholders on Tuesday.
In the letter, the USOPC emphasized ongoing engagement with government officials since the release of Executive Order 14201.
“As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations,” the letter read.
“The guidance we’ve received aligns with the Ted Stevens Act, reinforcing our mandated responsibility to promote athlete safety and competitive fairness.”
The correspondence further stated that all national governing bodies under the USOPC must follow the new directive.
The USOPC’s webpage for transgender athlete policy, which was updated on Monday, now features a notice at the top, “As of July 21, 2025, please refer to the USOPC athlete safety policy.”
Though the prior policy remains accessible on the site, the organization had previously emphasized a commitment to basing decisions on “real data and science-based evidence rather than ideology.”
Correction, A previous version of this article misstated the intent of President Trump’s executive order.
The directive is aimed at prohibiting transgender women from competing in women’s sports.
