The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has officially barred transgender women from competing in women’s Olympic events, introducing a policy that aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports” executive order issued last year.
The new rule, titled “Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport and Guiding Considerations for International Federations and Sports Governing Bodies,” was approved by the IOC Executive Board and announced on Thursday. It limits participation in female-category events at the Olympics and other IOC competitions to biological females, determined through a one-time SRY gene screening.
The IOC said the measure is “evidence-based and expert-informed” and will take effect from the LA28 Olympic Games onward to ensure fairness, safety, and integrity in women’s competitions. The policy is not retroactive and does not affect grassroots or recreational sports, which remain open to all under the Olympic Charter.
No transgender women competed in the women’s category at the 2024 Paris Olympics, although weightlifter Laurel Hubbard took part in the Tokyo 2021 Games.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the first woman to lead the organization in its 132-year history, explained that the decision is guided by science and athlete welfare.
“As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition. The policy that we have announced is based on science, and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart,” Coventry said.
She added, “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. So it’s absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.”
Under the new rules, athletes must undergo a single mandatory gene test during their career to confirm eligibility for women’s events.
