IOC bans transgender athletes from competing in Olympic women's events
The International Olympic Committee announced Thursday that only biological women may compete in female categories starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Games, verified through genetic testing.
6:42 PM
The International Olympic Committee announced Thursday a new eligibility policy for women's competition in Olympic sports, effective from the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Under the new rule, only biological women will be permitted to compete in female event categories.
Eligibility for women's categories will be determined through a single genetic test detecting the SRY gene, which is present only in biological males. A negative result is required for participation. The IOC stated that "the presence of the SRY gene is fixed throughout life and constitutes a highly accurate test that an athlete has experienced male sexual development."
The policy will not be retroactive and therefore will not affect results from previous competitions, including recent Olympic Games. Transgender athletes will be permitted to compete in men's or open categories under the new framework.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry denied that external pressure, including from Donald Trump, influenced the decision. Coventry stated that the new rule was part of her presidential campaign platform and did not result from outside influences. She explained the eligibility criteria during a video statement shared on the IOC's official YouTube account following an Executive Committee meeting.
The IOC's shift marks a departure from its November 2021 position, when the organization determined that individual sports federations should establish their own frameworks for transgender women's participation. The organization cited recent studies and several high-profile cases that generated controversy, including the participation of weightlifter Laurel Hubbard in the Tokyo Olympic Games and gender-related questions surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, as factors prompting the change.
The IOC stated the objective of the new policy is to "protect equity, safety, and integrity" in women's sport. Athletes will be required to undergo the genetic test once during their career. The policy also restricts participation by athletes with differences in sexual development.