The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has officially barred transgender women from participating in women’s sports, telling the federations overseeing swimming, athletics and other sports it has an "obligation to comply" with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. The change was announced on the USOPC’s website and confirmed in a letter sent to national governing bodies, follows a similar step taken by the NCAA earlier this year.
The USOPC change is noted obliquely as a detail under “USOPC Athlete Safety Policy" and references President Trump’s executive order, "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports," signed in February. That order, among other things, threatens to "rescind all funds" from organisations that allow transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports. The news agency AP reported that the national governing bodies will likely follow the USOPC’s directive.
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"As a federally chartered organisation, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations," USOPC Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes wrote in a letter.
"Our revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women. All National Governing Bodies are required to update their applicable policies in alignment."