Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Olympics, Donald Trump
Rory O'Callaghan
US Olympic officials have made a decision on whether to ban transgender women from competing for the United States in women's sports at their home Games in 2028.
Los Angeles will stage both the Olympics and Paralympics in three years' time, in what could prove to be one of the most divisive Games in years.
Senior US Republicans including Senator Bernie Moreno have already called for LA to be stripped of the honour of hosting the Games - as well as matches at the 2026 World Cup which the US will co-host - after anti-ICE demonstrations broke out in the city last month.
There are concerns over the public transport situation in the notoriously car-choked city. Meanwhile, the ongoing debate over the inclusion of trans athletes at the Games looks set to continue to create headlines.
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The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is set to ban transgender women from competing in Olympic women's sports, after changing its eligibility rules for the Games on Monday.
It comes after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February preventing transgender women from competing in female sports.
Republicans claim the move restores fairness to sports following a series of high-profile instances of trans athletes winning female events, including swimmer Lia Thomas and high jump, triple jump and long jump athlete AB Hernandez.
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However, LGBTQ+ rights organisations have described Trump's executive order as discriminatory.
A number of sports governing bodies, including swimming and athletics, have already banned transgender women from competing in the female category at elite level – and now the USOPC has followed suit.
The new rules still allow trans women to compete, but only in the men's category.
Non-binary athletes, transgender men and intersex athletes will also be limited to competing in the men's category, according to details released under the 'USOPC Athlete Safety Policy' on its official website.
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It is unclear exactly how the ban will be implemented, with little detail provided by the USOPC at this stage.
"I'm not going to try to oppose the USOPC because I understand that they've been put in an impossible situation by the administration," Phil Andrews, chief executive of USA Fencing, told the New York Times.
"We essentially have no choice but to change the rules because once the USOPC says 'This is now the policy of all of our National Governing Bodies', we all have to follow it."
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Some US states, including Minnesota and California, have already defied Trump's ban on trans women competing in the women's sport – raising further questions about how the new rules will be implemented nationwide.
After signing the executive order in February, Trump declared that the "the war on women's sports is over".
"If you let men take over women's sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding," he said, referring to a 1972 law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in schools.
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Meanwhile, last year in an interview with Barstool Sports, he was critical of transgender inclusion in women’s sport.
"So, you want to see the country united. But you have a very conservative side and a conservative side, and then you have people that want to see an open border and things. A lot of it is so far out," Trump said.
"Like, for instance, they want men playing in women’s sports. I don’t think I could ever say I’m thrilled about that. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen people really hurt."