CHENNAI: Transgender athletes cannot compete at the next Olympics after International Olympic Committee (IOC) made gender screening mandatory. In one of the most significant decisions by the IOC, all sports in its programme are limited to only biological females in the women's category.
The IOC, global sports’ umbrella organization, announced this after a board meeting on Thursday that no transgender athlete will be allowed to participate in women’s competition across all sports and will come into effect from the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Interestingly, this comes a year after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports”. He even threatened to deny visas to transgender athletes.
“Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one-time SRY gene screening,” IOC said in a statement.
The IOC revealed that the decision was backed by scientific studies and evidences that suggested “the presence of SRY gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male sex development”. Due this reason, the IOC considers that “SRY gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods”.
According to a 10-page document release by the IOC, “its Administration (the “Administration”) conducted a broad-based review of the Framework’s approach to eligibility for the Female Category at IOC Events.” The study was conducted from September 2024, right after Paris Games, and only finished earlier this month.
Kirsty Coventry, the first woman to head the IOC, had initiated more intense study to protect the female category. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition,” she said in a statement. “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.”
At the 2024 Olympics, Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting’s gold medals created quite a stir, with one of the competitor even withdrawing after a few seconds. The World Boxing, like the World Athletics, have already introduced gender screening. Just for the record, Lin was cleared after she passed the test successfully.
The controversy surrounding differences in sex development (DSD) athletes had been plaguing sports and Castor Semenya was one of the high profile athletes who made headlines after she was not allowed to compete in sprints and 400m by the World Athletics. Closer home, Dutee Chand is another example. New Zealand weightlifter Laura Hobbard, who participated at the Tokyo Games, was the world's first openly transgender woman to feature at the Summer Games.
The Working Group that conducted scientific studies since 2021 came to the conclusion that “Male sex (as defined in Schedule 1) confers performance advantage in all sports and events that rely on strength, power, and/or endurance.” This made it imperative for the IOC to protect fairness in such sports and events, as well as safety particularly in contact sports, it was necessary and adequate to base eligibility for competition on biological sex. And they found SRY the most reliable tool to identify such anomalies.
The policy will apply to all International Federations and National Olympic Committees under the IOC and will come into force at the date of its adoption by its executive board. “It is not retroactive and shall be applicable for the first time at the LA28 Olympic Games,” said the policy.
Why was the policy developed?
The IOC administration was tasked with drafting a policy on the protection of the female category in an Olympic context that would reflect the findings of the Working Group on the Protection of the Female Category, various IOC consultations, and consideration of recent developments, including in international human rights law.
What were the findings of the working group?
The working group reviewed the latest scientific evidence, including developments since 2021, and reached a clear consensus. Male sex provides a performance advantage in all sports and events that rely on strength, power and endurance. To ensure fairness, and to protect safety, particularly in contact sports, eligibility should therefore be based on biological sex.
Why SRY test?
The group also agreed that the most accurate and least intrusive method currently available to verify biological sex is screening for the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development in utero and indicates the presence of testes/testicles.
How was the policy developed?
The policy is the result of an IOC review between September 2024 and March 2026, and included consideration of the IOC’s policy goals for the female category, which are, in addition to ensuring fairness, safety and integrity in elite competition, to promote equality, enhance Olympic value and increase visibility for the female category. For these reasons, the Olympic Movement has a compelling interest in having a sex-based female category.
Who should adopt this policy?
This policy should be adopted by IFs and other sports governing bodies, such as NOCs, National Federations and Continental Associations, when exercising their responsibility in implementing eligibility rules in relation to IOC events only. It replaces all previous IOC statements on this matter.
