USOPC Aligns With Executive Order on Women’s Sports
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) announced a policy update on July 21, confirming that women’s teams at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will follow Executive Order 14201, signed by President Donald Trump. The order, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” mandates that participation in women’s sports be based strictly on biological sex.
“The USOPC is committed to protecting opportunities for athletes participating in sport,” the organization stated in an updated athlete safety document. It emphasized that U.S. national teams and sports governing bodies will align with the executive order, which directs the federal government to withdraw funding from programs that “deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.”
The executive order defines “sex” as an immutable biological classification—male or female—and excludes the concept of “gender identity” from athletic eligibility. Under this directive, transgender women will be barred from competing in women’s Olympic events, though they remain eligible to compete in men’s events.
The USOPC communicated the policy shift directly to national governing bodies, which operate under the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act. These bodies, which oversee Olympic and amateur competition in the United States, will be required to update their policies to comply.
“As a federally chartered organization, we must comply with federal expectations,” wrote USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes in a letter to stakeholders. “Our revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women.”
According to the USOPC, the change follows a series of “respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials” after the executive order was issued. Local sports clubs and development programs affiliated with these governing bodies will also be required to adopt the new standards.
Several national federations are already reacting. USA Fencing announced it will implement a revised policy effective August 1 that limits women’s competitions to “athletes who are of the female sex,” while allowing broader participation in men’s events. USA Swimming is reviewing its policies in light of the new requirements.
Others, including USA Track and Field, may face pressure to revise their rules, which had previously followed international guidance. World Athletics and other global federations are also exploring stricter eligibility standards. Some, including swimming, cycling, and track and field, have already restricted participation in women’s events for athletes who experienced male puberty.
The IOC’s new president, Kirsty Coventry, has signaled a commitment to “protect the female category,” although the Olympic body has traditionally left eligibility rules to individual sports.
The USOPC’s policy follows a similar move by the NCAA earlier this year. The college sports authority updated its policy to restrict participation in women’s sports to athletes born female, regardless of gender identity, shortly after Trump signed the executive order.
The 2028 Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles during what is expected to be the final months of Trump’s second presidential term.
