President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at banning transgender athletes from women's sports and is now looking to take his fight to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
The order empowers the Secretary of State's office to pressure the IOC to amend standards governing Olympic sporting events to ensure that eligibility for participation in women’s sports is determined according to sex and not gender identity or testosterone reduction.
Additionally, the order calls for a review of policies permitting admission to the United States of males seeking to participate in women’s sports, despite no evidence of male athletes competing in women's Olympics events.
Outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach expressed confidence in working with the Trump administration, while LA28 organizing committee officials have yet to comment on the matter.
The IOC has traditionally left decisions on transgender athlete participation to individual sport governing bodies, resulting in varying rules across different sports. However, with Bach's retirement looming, the IOC's stance may shift, especially with candidates like Sebastian Coe, who advocates for limiting female sports participation to cisgender women, in the running for IOC presidency.
Trump's executive order comes after a heated debate around transgender athletes at the Paris Olympics, where he criticized the participation of transgender female boxers who won gold medals. Trump's order signals a potential shift in international federations' approach to transgender athlete policies, urging the IOC to establish a uniform standard.
As the issue continues to evolve, the impact of Trump's order on the IOC and transgender athlete policies remains to be seen, with potential implications for future Olympic Games.
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