The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee quietly changed its transgender policy to ban men from competing in women’s Olympic sports, a move that brings sporting events across the country in line with President Donald Trump’s executive order.

The USOPC’s new eligibility policy does not mention “transgender.” Instead, it tucked a reference to Trump’s EO 14201 on Page 5 of its 27-page athlete safety policy dated June 18.

“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 and the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act,” the update reads.

EO 14201 is titled, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”

Prior to Monday, the USOPC’s website said its transgender policy relied on “real data and science-based evidence rather than ideology,” The New York Times reported.

“That means making science-based decisions, sport by sport and discipline by discipline, within both the Olympic and Paralympic movements,” the former policy said.

In a statement to the Times on Tuesday, the USOPC said it had held “a series of respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials” since the executive order was signed in February. “As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations.”

The USOPC’s change has ripple effects to sporting events across all age groups; the national governing bodies of sports federations now have to comply with the USOPC, according to the report.

It’s unclear how USOPC’s policy change could impact U.S. athletes ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

USA Fencing changed its transgender and non-binary eligibility policy on Friday to exclude men from participating in sanctioned competitions for females. Now, USA Fencing has amended its policy to state that the women’s category is for “athletes who are of the female sex.”

Transgender females — biological males — will compete in the men’s category, which is “open to all athletes not eligible for the Women’s Category,” the sanctioning body announced. Those changes take effect Aug. 1.

Mark Swanson ✉

Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.