The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned transgender women and DSD athletes from the female category of events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and future Games.
Kirsty Coventry, the president of the IOC, said the landmark decision had been taken because “it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category”.
The IOC has also confirmed that all athletes wanting to compete in the female category at future Olympics will have to undergo a one-off SRY (sex determining region Y gene) screening to detect their biological sex.
Coventry said the decision, which applies to elite individual and team sports, was based on science and would protect the fairness and safety of women’s sport. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition”, she said.
“The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts. At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. 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", she added.
The IOC said its new policy should be adopted by all international sports federations and governing bodies for events, such as the Summer and Winter Olympics. It made it clear it applies only to elite sport and not any grassroots or recreational sports programmes.
Check the new policy here.
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