The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has updated its "Athlete Safety Policy," effectively barring transgender women from participating in women’s events at the Olympics and Paralympics. The move aligns with an executive order signed earlier this year by former President Donald Trump, which sought to restrict transgender athletes from competing in categories that do not match their sex assigned at birth.

The revised USOPC policy does not explicitly mention transgender athletes but includes a new subsection titled "Additional Requirements," stating that the committee will work to ensure "women have a fair and safe competition environment consistent with Executive Order 14201."

In a letter to the U.S. Olympic community, USOPC President Gene Sykes and CEO Sarah Hirshland explained the decision, stating, "As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations." They emphasized the need to maintain "fair and safe competition environments for women."

The policy shift follows a similar move by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which restricted transgender women from women’s sports shortly after Trump’s executive order.

In February 2025, Trump signed Executive Order 14201, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports," which threatened to withdraw federal funding from institutions allowing transgender athletes to compete in categories differing from their birth-assigned sex. The order also directed U.S. officials to pressure the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to revise its policies on transgender participation.

The Trump administration has previously taken a hardline stance on transgender rights, including banning transgender individuals from serving in the military.

Critics argue that there is little evidence of transgender athletes dominating women’s sports and warn that such policies could harm transgender youth and deepen political divisions. The National Women’s Law Center condemned the USOPC’s decision, with CEO Fatima Goss Graves stating, "By giving in to political demands, the USOPC is sacrificing the needs and safety of its own athletes."

Some states have already enacted laws barring transgender athletes from women’s sports, though several have faced legal challenges over claims of discrimination.

The IOC currently allows individual sports federations to set their own rules on transgender participation. Sports like swimming, cycling, and track and field have already imposed stricter regulations, banning athletes who underwent male puberty from women’s events.