The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has issued a new policy barring transgender women from competing in women’s Olympic sports, citing compliance with a federal executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year.

The policy change, posted to the USOPC’s website and confirmed in a letter to national sports governing bodies, aligns with Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” order. 

That order, signed in February, threatens to pull federal funding from organizations that allow biological males to compete in female categories.

In a letter to national governing bodies, USOPC President Gene Sykes and CEO Sarah Hirshland said the committee had “an obligation to comply with federal expectations” and emphasized the importance of “ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women.”

The move follows similar steps taken by the NCAA and USA Fencing, which recently updated its policy to restrict women’s events to athletes “of the female sex.” Other sports, including swimming and track and field, are expected to follow.

The policy shift is already drawing criticism from progressive advocacy groups. The National Women’s Law Center issued a statement condemning the USOPC’s decision, accusing the committee of “sacrificing the needs and safety of its own athletes” in caving to political pressure.

But supporters of the change argue it’s a necessary correction to protect fairness in women’s sports. More than two dozen states have passed laws restricting transgender participation in female athletics, and the issue has become a flashpoint in the cultural debate over gender identity and biological sex.

The USOPC oversees nearly 50 national governing bodies, meaning the new policy could affect everything from elite Olympic training centers to local sports clubs. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allowed individual sports to set their own eligibility rules, but under new leadership, it too is reviewing policies to “protect the female category.”

President Trump praised the USOPC’s decision, calling it “a win for women and for common sense.” 

Los Angeles is set to host the Summer Games in 2028.