US Olympic policy change bans transgender women in women's events
A new note on the USOPC website regarding the participation of transgender athletes in sports says: "As of July 21, 2025, please refer to the USOPC athlete safety policy."
The policy update, following US President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order, was added to the USOPC Athlete Safety Policy on its website as a new subsection entitled "Additional Requirements."
"The USOPC is committed to protecting opportunities for athletes participating in sport," the addition reads.
"The USOPC will continue to collaborate with various stakeholders with oversight responsibilities... to ensure that women have a fair and safe competition environment consistent with Executive Order 14201 (Trump's order) and the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act."
The Stevens Act, adopted in 1988, provides a means of handling eligibility disputes for Olympic sports and other amateur events.
A memo to Team USA from USOPC chief executive Sarah Hirshland and president Gene Sykes on Tuesday obtained by ABC News and ESPN made reference to Trump's February executive order, saying: "As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations."
Trump's executive order threatens to remove federal funds from any school or institution allowing transgender girls to play on girls' teams, claiming that would violate Title IX rules giving US women equal sport opportunities.
The order requires immediate enforcement against institutions that deny women single-sex sports and single-sex locker rooms.
"Our revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women," ESPN quoted the USOPC letter to governing bodies as saying.
"All National Governing Bodies are required to update their applicable policies in alignment."
ESPN also said the officials noted the USOPC "has engaged in a series of respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials" in the wake of Trump's executive order.
The move comes as Los Angeles awaits a host role for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) also altered its policy for transgender athlete participation to limit women's sports competitors to athletes assigned female at birth after Trump's executive order.
js/jgc
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
22 minutes ago
- West Australian
EU may get 15 per cent tariff deal with US: reports
The European Union is heading towards a trade deal with the United States that will result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods imported into the US, avoiding a harsher 30 per cent levy slated to be implemented from August 1, two EU diplomats say. The rate, which could also extend to cars, would mirror the framework agreement the United States struck with Japan. Officials from the European Commission, which negotiates trade deals on behalf of the 27-member bloc, briefed EU envoys on the state of talks with their US counterparts. US President Donald Trump would ultimately make any final decision on a deal, however. Under the outlines of the potential deal, the 15 per cent rate could apply to sectors including cars and pharmaceuticals and would not be added to long-standing US duties, which average just under five per cent. There could also be concessions for sectors like aircraft, lumber as well as some medicines and agricultural products, which would not face tariffs, the diplomats said. The US administration does not, however, appear willing to lower its current 50 per cent tariff on steel, they said. The Commission said earlier on Wednesday that its primary focus was to achieve a negotiated outcome to avert the threatened 30 per cent tariffs. At the same time it planned to submit counter-tariffs on 93 billion euros ($A166 billion) worth of US goods to EU members for approval. A vote is expected on Thursday although no measures would be imposed until August 7. Germany supported the EU readying countermeasures, a government representative said. If Trump's 30 per cent tariffs are implemented, EU diplomats also said there was broad support among European governments to activate wide-ranging so-called "anti-coercion" measures, which would allow the bloc to target US services and other sectors. The EU appears to be following in the footsteps of Japan, whose agreement with the United States is the most significant Trump has struck since launching his tariff offensive in April. European shares climbed about one per cent, led by car stocks, following the US-Japan announcement. One stand-out feature of that deal was that the same 15 per cent rate applies to cars, compared to the current US tariff of 27.5 per cent, something the EU may want for its own car exports. The US imported vehicles and automotive parts valued at more than $US55 billion ($A84 billion) from Japan last year. EU exports were 47.3 billion euros. Far fewer US cars were sold into the EU or Japanese markets. EU officials say the US has shown little sign of budging on car tariffs but the Japan deal could hint at flexibility. "Whatever the Japanese got will become the minimum for the EU negotiating objectives," said Simon Evenett, professor of geopolitics and strategy at IMD Business School.
Perth Now
22 minutes ago
- Perth Now
EU may get 15 per cent tariff deal with US: reports
The European Union is heading towards a trade deal with the United States that will result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods imported into the US, avoiding a harsher 30 per cent levy slated to be implemented from August 1, two EU diplomats say. The rate, which could also extend to cars, would mirror the framework agreement the United States struck with Japan. Officials from the European Commission, which negotiates trade deals on behalf of the 27-member bloc, briefed EU envoys on the state of talks with their US counterparts. US President Donald Trump would ultimately make any final decision on a deal, however. Under the outlines of the potential deal, the 15 per cent rate could apply to sectors including cars and pharmaceuticals and would not be added to long-standing US duties, which average just under five per cent. There could also be concessions for sectors like aircraft, lumber as well as some medicines and agricultural products, which would not face tariffs, the diplomats said. The US administration does not, however, appear willing to lower its current 50 per cent tariff on steel, they said. The Commission said earlier on Wednesday that its primary focus was to achieve a negotiated outcome to avert the threatened 30 per cent tariffs. At the same time it planned to submit counter-tariffs on 93 billion euros ($A166 billion) worth of US goods to EU members for approval. A vote is expected on Thursday although no measures would be imposed until August 7. Germany supported the EU readying countermeasures, a government representative said. If Trump's 30 per cent tariffs are implemented, EU diplomats also said there was broad support among European governments to activate wide-ranging so-called "anti-coercion" measures, which would allow the bloc to target US services and other sectors. The EU appears to be following in the footsteps of Japan, whose agreement with the United States is the most significant Trump has struck since launching his tariff offensive in April. European shares climbed about one per cent, led by car stocks, following the US-Japan announcement. One stand-out feature of that deal was that the same 15 per cent rate applies to cars, compared to the current US tariff of 27.5 per cent, something the EU may want for its own car exports. The US imported vehicles and automotive parts valued at more than $US55 billion ($A84 billion) from Japan last year. EU exports were 47.3 billion euros. Far fewer US cars were sold into the EU or Japanese markets. EU officials say the US has shown little sign of budging on car tariffs but the Japan deal could hint at flexibility. "Whatever the Japanese got will become the minimum for the EU negotiating objectives," said Simon Evenett, professor of geopolitics and strategy at IMD Business School.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Investment bank to face heat over climate commitments
Australia's largest investment bank will be in activists' sights when shareholders gather at its global headquarters for its annual general meeting. Environmental group Market Forces plans to have a four-metre-tall mock gas flare outside Macquarie Group's new Martin Place offices in Sydney on Thursday morning, representing the bank's financing of climate pollution. At the meeting Macquarie faces its first climate-focused shareholder resolution calling on the $86 billion company to outline how its financing for fossil fuel projects is aligned with its net-zero commitments. Activists say they're concerned about Macquarie's commitment to global climate goals after the bank followed US peers JPMorgan, Citi and Bank of America in exiting the Net Zero Banking Alliance in February, not long after President Donald Trump took office. Macquarie has more than doubled its financing for oil and gas in the past two years, Market Forces says. "Macquarie's reputation as a green financial institution is completely at odds with its investments in one of Australia's biggest new gas developments," said Market Forces policy analyst Morgan Pickett, referring to its financing of a $100 million gas fracking project in the Northern Territory's Beetaloo Basin. Macquarie in late 2024 provided the funding for two of the gas companies most active in the Basin, Beetaloo Energy Australia and Tamboran Resources. Australia's Department of Industry, Science and Resources says Beetaloo has the potential to rival the world's best gas projects, and developing it could create thousands of jobs and drive significant economic growth in the territory. Activists say moving ahead with another gas project is irresponsible as the planet tips further into a climate emergency. "As a climate scientist, I'm appalled that Macquarie Group is claiming to be green yet is lending to companies blasting ahead with new gas projects adding to irreversible global warming," Lesley Hughes, climate change scientist and emerita professor of biology, said in a statement provided by Market Forces. Macquarie is recommending shareholders reject the climate resolution, which asks the bank to disclose its exposure to fossil fuel companies and detail its approach for funding them in light of its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Macquarie says the science behind climate change is "clear and unequivocal" but it believes in "a managed, orderly and just transition". "This means supporting carbon-intensive industries and companies including those in the oil/gas, electricity, agriculture, mining, transport and waste sectors to decarbonise, while protecting the vital services and jobs that our communities rely on," Macquarie said. Market Forces says four global investors have backed the shareholder resolution: the pension funds of New York City, the UK's Church of England and the largest private pension fund in Norway, as well as Melbourne-based fund manager ELM Responsible Investments.
