IOC to limit women's events to biological females

The International Olympic Committee announced on Thursday that only "biological females" will be allowed to compete in women's events, a policy that prevents transgender women from participating in the Olympic Games and will also have a significant impact on athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD).

The new rules, announced in a policy titled "Protection of the Female Category in Olympic Sport," will be implemented across all Olympic sports. According to the IOC, eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or other IOC events will be limited to biological females, determined through a one-time SRY gene screening conducted via saliva sample, cheek swab, or blood sample.

The policy re-introduces testing for gender eligibility that will begin with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The IOC is abandoning the framework introduced in 2021, which allowed each international federation to set its own gender eligibility rules. Instead, the new rules will apply uniformly across all Olympic sports.

IOC president Kirsty Coventry defended the decision, stating that "the policy we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts." She emphasized fairness and safety: "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."

Coventry added that the policy supports "equality and fairness and the protection of the safety on the field of play."

Coverage comparison

The announcement has been covered by multiple international outlets. France 24, which reported the initial statement, described the policy in an informative tone, largely relaying official IOC statements. Deutsche Welle provided a more analytical perspective, focusing on the broader impact on athletes with DSD and highlighting criticism from medical experts and Olympians.

According to the reports, the new policy closely mirrors rules already adopted by World Athletics, the international governing body for track and field, which has restricted transgender women from women's events.

Key claims

  • The IOC will only allow athletes who are "biological females" to compete in women's events, as determined by a one-time SRY gene screening.
  • The policy takes effect from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and applies to all Olympic sports.
  • The move will rule out many athletes with DSD, though a rare exception is made for those with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other conditions that do not benefit from the performance-enhancing effects of testosterone.
  • The policy ends the previous approach by which individual federations set their own gender eligibility rules.
  • IOC president Kirsty Coventry says the policy is based on science and fairness.
  • Caster Semenya, the South African middle-distance runner, has labeled the decision a "disgrace" in an article published in Time magazine.
  • The policy has been criticized by medical experts and Olympians, according to one report.

Perspectives

Proponents, including the IOC leadership, argue that the policy ensures fairness and safety in women's sports. The one-time SRY test is described as a simple and uniform method to determine eligibility.

Critics, including some medical experts and athletes, argue that genetic screening is not a reliable marker of athletic advantage. Semenya, who has been barred from defending her Olympic titles due to World Athletics' testosterone rules, wrote: "Genetic screening is not, and never has been, a way to protect girls and women in sports. To call it that is to mask a monster. Let's call this what it is: exclusion, just with a different name."

Deutsche Welle reports that scientists have disputed the use of SRY testing, and medical experts point to the complexity of sex determination and its relationship to athletic performance.

The policy also removes a potential source of conflict between the IOC and US President Donald Trump, who has been vocal on transgender participation in women's sports, according to a report from France 24.