Trans women banned from female Olympic events with IOC sex test
IOC President Kirsty Coventry (AFP via Getty Images)
A new ruling from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that transgender women will be banned from the female categories of future Olympic events.
The new policy, titled ‘Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport’, will come into effect for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The IOC has described the policy as “evidence‑based and expert‑informed”.
The IOC has also shared that eligibility for female sporting events will be determined by one-time gene-screening sex tests, which will “ensure fairness and protect safety, particularly in contact sports”.
Any athlete found to have the SRY gene, which is found in Y chromosomes, will be deemed not “biologically female” and therefore ineligible to compete in the women’s categories. The eligibility criteria will also apply to intersex athletes that have gone through male puberty.
“Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the female category,” the IOC said in a statement. “Unless there is reason to believe that a negative reading is in error, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime test.”
“As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry 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 continued: “Every athlete must be treated with dignity and respect, and athletes will need to be screened only once in their lifetime. There must be clear education around the process and counselling available, alongside expert medical advice.”
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