Sports
IOC restricts transgender athletes competing in women’s Olympic events
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that only biological females will be allowed to participate in women’s sports at the Olympic Games.
The new rule was revealed in a statement released on Thursday, signaling a major change in eligibility for female events.
Under the policy, any athlete hoping to compete in women’s categories at future Olympics must take a “once-in-a-lifetime” Sex Determining Region Y (SRY) gene test. The IOC said the test will confirm eligibility and help maintain fairness in women’s competitions.
The SRY gene test is used to detect the presence of the male Y chromosome in a human.
The new policy will not be applied retroactively but will take full effect from the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
Kirsty Coventry, IOC president, said the policy “is based on science and has been led by medical experts”.
“The scientific evidence is very clear. Male chromosomes give performance advantages in sports that rely on strength, power or endurance.
“At the Olympic Games even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” she said.
“So it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
The organisation added that its new policy must be adopted by all international sports federations for IOC elite events, including the Summer and Winter Olympics.
The IOC’s new policy aligns with US President Donald Trump’s executive order in February 2025, which banned transgender athletes from women’s sports in the country.
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