The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Thursday that participation in women’s events at the Olympics will be restricted to biological females, marking a significant policy shift ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The decision reintroduces gender eligibility testing and effectively bars transgender women from competing in female categories.
Under the new rules, eligibility will be determined through a one-time screening for the SRY gene, conducted via saliva, cheek swab, or blood sample. The policy, which will apply across all Olympic sports, also excludes many athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD). IOC President Kirsty Coventry said the move is grounded in science and aims to ensure fairness and safety in competition.
The change reverses the IOC’s 2021 framework, which allowed individual sports federations to set their own guidelines. It also aligns with positions already adopted by several international bodies in sports such as athletics and swimming. Supporters argue the policy creates a level playing field, while critics point to limited scientific evidence regarding performance advantages, particularly among athletes with DSD.
The decision comes amid broader global debate over gender eligibility in sports and follows controversies during the 2024 Paris Olympics, including disputes involving boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, both of whom went on to win gold medals despite prior eligibility challenges.
