Olympic controversy looms: clash with Trump’s transgender sports order

The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics are steadily taking shape. Just over a week ago, organizers unveiled the event’s sports program, which includes baseball and softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse, and squash as new additions.

The lineup features a growing number of mixed events and, for the first time in Olympic history, will include more women (50.5%) than men (49.5%). In recent days, further details have been announced, including over $1 billion already secured in sponsorships—more than half the target—and new confirmed venues, such as Dodger Stadium for baseball and Trestles Beach in San Clemente for surfing.

But, these certainties come alongside unresolved questions. In total, LA28 will host 351 medal events, 22 more than Paris 2024, and welcome 11,198 athletes. Among them, however, it remains unclear whether transgender athletes will be allowed to compete.

Donald Trump’s ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’ Executive Order

Since U.S. President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14201, titled Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports, concerns have been growing. “The radical left has launched an all-out campaign to erase the very concept of biological sex and replace it with militant transgender ideology. With this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over,” Trump said at a signing ceremony that coincided with National Girls and Women in Sports Day in February.

Just two months later, internal doubts are emerging. This week, the board of directors of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) held its first meeting of the year, and following Trump’s order, the participation of transgender athletes in women’s events became a key topic. The discussion was prompted by a recent incident at the Cherry Blossom fencing tournament, held at the University of Maryland, where U.S. fencer Stephanie Turner refused to compete against Redmond Sullivan, a transgender athlete.

“Do you believe you’ll eventually have to comply with President Trump’s executive order, which bans transgender athletes who went through male puberty from competing in women’s sports?” asked New York Times reporter Jeré Longman. USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland responded that the committee would not impose “eligibility criteria,” leaving that responsibility to international and national sports federations.

“It’s important to emphasize that the U.S. Olympic Committee does not define eligibility criteria for events outside our jurisdiction. International federations typically set eligibility standards for global events—World Cups, World Championships, and so on—while national governing bodies define them domestically. These could include elite-level competitions, national championships, or lower-tier youth sports events,” Hirshland said. “We do not have, and will not implement, an eligibility policy. It wouldn’t be appropriate and it’s not our role to take that stance.”

Her comments highlight a potential conflict ahead: the participation of transgender athletes at the 2028 Olympics could clash with the LA28 host city contract, which obliges organizers to guarantee access to competition for all qualified athletes.

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