IOC set to ban transgender athletes from Olympic women’s events, reports say
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will enact a new policy prohibiting transgender female athletes from competing against biological women, according to multiple reports. The policy is expected to also cover athletes with differences of sex development (DSD).
Currently, each sport’s governing body determines its own policies regarding transgender athletes. However, with changes in IOC leadership, The Times of London reported that the organization’s policies are set to change.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, in June, emphasized the importance of “protecting” the women’s category, noting there was “overwhelming support” from IOC members. “We understand that there’ll be differences depending on the sport … but it was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost to ensure fairness,” she said. Coventry added that the approach would remain scientific and involve input from international federations.
The policy change is expected to be announced at the IOC session in February, ahead of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy. The shift follows a presentation by Dr. Jane Thornton, the IOC’s medical and scientific director, which reportedly demonstrated physical advantages in males, even for those who took treatments to reduce testosterone levels.
An IOC spokesperson stated, “The working group is continuing its discussions on this topic and no decisions have been taken yet. Further information will be provided in due course.”
The new rules will reportedly cover athletes with DSD—individuals raised female but born with male traits. Previous controversies in Olympic boxing highlighted challenges around gender verification, including gold medal wins by Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting in the women’s division, which sparked debates over eligibility.
World Boxing has since implemented mandatory sex testing for its competitors. Khelif will not be able to compete unless testing requirements are met.
Credit: Fox News
