U.S. Olympic and Paralympic officials bar transgender women from competing in Olympic women's sports
The change, announced Monday with a quiet change on the USOPC's website and confirmed in a letter sent to national sport governing bodies, follows a similar step taken by the NCAA earlier this year.
The USOPC change is noted obliquely as a detail under 'USOPC Athlete Safety Policy' and reference's Trump's executive order, 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports,' signed in February. That order, among other things, threatens to 'rescind all funds' from organizations that allow transgender athlete participation in women's sports.
U.S Olympic officials told the national governing bodies they will need to follow suit, adding that 'the USOPC has engaged in a series of respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials' since Trump signed the order.
'As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations,' USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes wrote in a letter. 'Our revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women. All National Governing Bodies are required to update their applicable policies in alignment.'
The nationwide battle over transgender girls on girls' and women's sports teams has played out at both the state and federal levels as Republicans portray the issue as a fight for athletic fairnes. More than two dozen states have enacted laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some policies have been blocked in court by those who say the policies are discriminatory, cruel and unnecessarily target a tiny niche of athletes.
The NCAA changed its participation policy for transgender athletes to limit competition in women's sports to athletes assigned female at birth. That change came a day after Trump signed the executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports.
Female eligibility is a key issue for the International Olympic Committee under its new president, Kirsty Coventry. The IOC has allowed individual sports federations to set their own rules at the Olympics -- and some have already taken steps on the topic.
Stricter rules on transgender athletes -- barring from women's events anyone who went through male puberty -- have been passed by swimming, cycling and track and field. Soccer is reviewing its eligibility rules for women and could set limits on testosterone.
Trump has said he wants the IOC to change everything 'having to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject.' Los Angeles will host the Summer Games in 2028.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
28 minutes ago
- CTV News
Vancouver Whitecaps juggle lineup ahead of battle with Sporting Kansas City
Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, right, collects the ball with Colorado Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett in pursuit in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) VANCOUVER — Another major injury is forcing the Vancouver Whitecaps to once again rotate their lineup as the club tries to climb back atop the standings. The 'Caps (12-5-6) announced Tuesday that stalwart centre back Ranko Veselinovic will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. 'It's, of course, horrible for Ranko. I feel, we all feel, with him and for him, because getting an ACL rupture is very bad,' said Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen. 'Ranko is doing OK. But of course, we have to figure out what to do without him, because he's been also a key part of the season so far.' The injury means Sorensen will field a different defensive corps when Vancouver hosts Sporting Kansas City (6-11-6) on Saturday. The 'Caps head into the game sitting second in Major League Soccer's Western Conference standings, just one point behind San Diego FC — a club they battled to a 1-1 draw last week. Lineup changes have become routine for Vancouver's first-year bench boss as the Whitecaps weather a string of long-term injuries. Attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld has been sidelined with a knee injury since March 8. Canadian defender Sam Adekugbe saw his season cut short when he tore his Achilles tendon playing for the national team last month, and midfielder Ali Ahmed has been sidelined since spraining his ankle while playing for Canada. Several of Vancouver's players have also missed league games while competing for their national squads. A deep player pool has helped fill the holes, Sorensen said. 'We have players who know what to do when they step on the pitch,' he said. 'And I think that's the most important thing, that we work with them in the daily work, and give them the best options to do well when they play on the pitch by having teammates around them in a good structure who can help out.' Four crucial pieces are expected to return to the 'Caps lineup for Saturday's game after representing the club at MLS all-star festivities in Austin this week. Striker Brian White, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, defender Tristan Blackmon and goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka all returned to training with their teammates on Thursday. Getting back into the swing of team play can be a challenge, White said. 'I think it's a bit difficult. Obviously, you go from playing games a lot with guys you're familiar with to really not playing a whole lot, to come back, and then you find that rhythm again,' he said. 'I think it takes a little bit of time, but it's not like learning how to ride a bike again, you know? You try to pick up where you left off.' The Whitecaps sent a league-high four players to the all-star game, and the players had an impact, with White scoring to lift the MLS all stars to a win over their Liga MX compatriots. Takaoka also hit the crossbar in a skills competition to secure an MLS win. There's a high standard at an all-star event, Blackmon said, and the players all want to bring that mindset back to Vancouver — starting with a strong outing against SKC on Saturday. 'Obviously, you're playing with, arguably, the best in the league this year so far. So you try to come back and show that you have that quality,' he said. 'We had four guys there, that was incredible. But how can we all come back here and try to help as much as possible, keep that same level and increase it going into this final stretch?' SPORTING KANSAS CITY (6-11-6) AT VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (12-5-6) Saturday, B.C. Place HISTORY BOOKS: Sporting holds a 12-8-5 edge in all-time matchups between the two clubs, but the 'Caps won both meetings last season by a 2-1 margin. HOME SWEET HOME: The Whitecaps have played their last five league games on the road and will close out the regular-season campaign with seven of their next 11 matchups at B.C. Place. The team is 6-2-2 on home turf this year. FULL SLATE: Saturday will mark Vancouver's 35th game this year across all competitions, including league play, the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Canadian Championship. The MLS regular-season campaign consists of 34 matchups. This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press, was first published July 25, 2025.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski playing with new perspective since cancer diagnosis
Winning still feels great for Gabriela Dabrowski, but it's not the be-all and end-all like it used to be. Ever since her battle with cancer last year, swinging a tennis racket has taken on a new meaning. "Tennis really feels like it's not the No. 1 thing in life anymore," Dabrowski said. "If it was taken away from me tomorrow? Yeah, I would be sad. But if I'm healthy, then to me, that's all that really matters. "There are bigger problems in life than winning a tennis match." Last December, the 33-year-old doubles star from Ottawa revealed months after the fact that she had undergone two surgeries to treat breast cancer following a diagnosis in April. With only a few close friends and family aware of her fight, Dabrowski captured a mixed doubles bronze medal for Canada alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime at last summer's Paris Olympics and claimed the WTA Finals title with her longtime partner, Erin Routliffe. When she returned from her surgeries, every serve and volley felt like a bonus. "Everything was like, `Wow, this is such a different feel than what I've had in the past, which was like, `Don't waste any potential you have, maximize the sport, do the best you can,"' Dabrowski said in a video interview from Ottawa, where she received the key to the city Thursday. "Now I'm doing the best I can because I want to, not because I have to, and that was a huge shift for me. "Even though losses hurt, they definitely don't hurt as much as before, which is nice. And wins still feel great, and being able to share them with the people around me is the best feeling, because we have been through a lot. I know I went through a lot, but they went through a lot, too." Dabrowski and Routliffe, of New Zealand, won the 2023 US Open and reached last year's Wimbledon final. They'll be among the top seeds in the National Bank Open's women's doubles tournament, beginning Sunday in Montreal, marking the No. 8-ranked Dabrowski's first action on home soil since going public with her story. Dabrowski still manages side effects from radiation, surgery and long-term hormone therapy, but credits her medical team for keeping her in top shape with how she eats, sleeps, trains and recovers. Planning ahead to better recuperate from jet lag, which "hits me harder than it used to," is another adjustment she's making on the gruelling, travel-heavy circuit. This season has been especially tough because Dabrowski has struggled with a rib injury since February, an ailment that has forced her off the court more than the cancer diagnosis a year ago. She and Routliffe won the Stuttgart Open in April, but Dabrowski later withdrew from several tournaments, including the French Open in May, before returning to action in time for Wimbledon. The second-seeded pair "did better than expected" under the circumstances, losing to eventual champions Elise Mertens and Veronika Kudermetova in a tight quarterfinal match. "I'm proud of my last couple of months, considering what I went through," said Dabrowski, who said she's playing at roughly 80 per cent capacity. "Really trying to balance the healing component with continuing to increase volume in the gym and on the court, but without doing too much to where I might impede that last sort of stage of healing. "I feel like even though I'm probably not at my most prepared going into National Bank Open, I still have a week to get more training in the tank, and then maybe some practice matches with Erin, she'll be match fit and she can carry me. It's fine." Reuniting with Felix? Dabrowski is hoping to team up with Auger-Aliassime in the US Open mixed doubles tournament in August, although she's not certain she'll get the chance. They are among 25 teams on the entry list, though only 16 will play. Most of the top stars in tennis — including Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner — have also entered teams into the revamped tournament, which will take place before singles action and feature a $1-million US prize. The eight teams with the best combined singles rankings will automatically qualify, and the USTA will select the next eight duos, meaning some doubles specialists, like Dabrowski, could be shut out of the doubles event. "That lends itself to a definition of exhibition," Dabrowski said of the format. "I love that they've obviously increased prize money and all that, I think that's amazing. But at the same time, if you don't have any top doubles players in that draw, I don't think that it should be called a mixed doubles championship and you should win a Grand Slam trophy winning that event."
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski playing with new perspective since cancer diagnosis
MONTREAL – Winning still feels great for Gabriela Dabrowski, but it's not the be-all and end-all like it used to be. Ever since her battle with cancer last year, swinging a tennis racket has taken on a new meaning. 'Tennis really feels like it's not the No. 1 thing in life anymore,' Dabrowski said. 'If it was taken away from me tomorrow? Yeah, I would be sad. But if I'm healthy, then to me, that's all that really matters. 'There are bigger problems in life than winning a tennis match.' Last December, the 33-year-old doubles star from Ottawa revealed months after the fact that she had undergone two surgeries to treat breast cancer following a diagnosis in April. With only a few close friends and family aware of her fight, Dabrowski captured a mixed doubles bronze medal for Canada alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime at last summer's Paris Olympics and claimed the WTA Finals title with her longtime partner, Erin Routliffe. When she returned from her surgeries, every serve and volley felt like a bonus. 'Everything was like, 'Wow, this is such a different feel than what I've had in the past, which was like, 'Don't waste any potential you have, maximize the sport, do the best you can,'' Dabrowski said in a video interview from Ottawa, where she received the key to the city Thursday. 'Now I'm doing the best I can because I want to, not because I have to, and that was a huge shift for me. 'Even though losses hurt, they definitely don't hurt as much as before, which is nice. And wins still feel great, and being able to share them with the people around me is the best feeling, because we have been through a lot. I know I went through a lot, but they went through a lot, too.' Dabrowski and Routliffe, of New Zealand, won the 2023 US Open and reached last year's Wimbledon final. They'll be among the top seeds in the National Bank Open's women's doubles tournament, beginning Sunday in Montreal, marking the No. 8-ranked Dabrowski's first action on home soil since going public with her story. Dabrowski still manages side effects from radiation, surgery and long-term hormone therapy, but credits her medical team for keeping her in top shape with how she eats, sleeps, trains and recovers. Planning ahead to better recuperate from jet lag, which 'hits me harder than it used to,' is another adjustment she's making on the gruelling, travel-heavy circuit. This season has been especially tough because Dabrowski has struggled with a rib injury since February, an ailment that has forced her off the court more than the cancer diagnosis a year ago. She and Routliffe won the Stuttgart Open in April, but Dabrowski later withdrew from several tournaments, including the French Open in May, before returning to action in time for Wimbledon. The second-seeded pair 'did better than expected' under the circumstances, losing to eventual champions Elise Mertens and Veronika Kudermetova in a tight quarterfinal match. 'I'm proud of my last couple of months, considering what I went through,' said Dabrowski, who said she's playing at roughly 80 per cent capacity. 'Really trying to balance the healing component with continuing to increase volume in the gym and on the court, but without doing too much to where I might impede that last sort of stage of healing. 'I feel like even though I'm probably not at my most prepared going into National Bank Open, I still have a week to get more training in the tank, and then maybe some practice matches with Erin … she'll be match fit and she can carry me. It's fine.' REUNITING WITH FELIX? Dabrowski is hoping to team up with Auger-Aliassime in the US Open mixed doubles tournament in August, although she's not certain she'll get the chance. They are among 25 teams on the entry list, though only 16 will play. Most of the top stars in tennis — including Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner — have also entered teams into the revamped tournament, which will take place before singles action and feature a US$1-million prize. The eight teams with the best combined singles rankings will automatically qualify, and the USTA will select the next eight duos, meaning some doubles specialists, like Dabrowski, could be shut out of the doubles event. 'That lends itself to a definition of exhibition,' Dabrowski said of the format. 'I love that they've obviously increased prize money and all that, I think that's amazing. But at the same time, if you don't have any top doubles players in that draw, I don't think that it should be called a mixed doubles championship and you should win a Grand Slam trophy winning that event.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2025.
