Transgender women will no longer be allowed to compete in women’s categories at the Olympic and Paralympic Games under the United States banner, following a new policy by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
The decision, communicated through a memo to the Team USA community on Tuesday, stems from former President Donald Trump’s February 2025 executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
The directive calls for immediate enforcement to protect single-sex sports and locker rooms, and urges state attorneys general to develop enforcement best practices.
“As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations,” wrote USOPC President Gene Sykes and CEO Sarah Hirshland in the memo.
The USOPC’s revised athlete safety policy, updated on its official website, underscores the commitment to maintaining “fair and safe competition environments for women.”
While the term “transgender” is not used explicitly in the policy, the language aligns with Executive Order 14201 and the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act, which guides eligibility procedures across Olympic sports.
The new policy does not yet clarify how the ban will be implemented, nor does it specify whether similar restrictions will apply to men’s events.
Following the USOPC announcement, USA Fencing updated its gender eligibility rules to take effect on August 1.
Under the new guidelines, transgender women, nonbinary athletes, transgender men, and intersex individuals will be limited to competing in men’s categories.
Written By Rodney Mbua
