Games The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a sweeping policy banning transgender women from competing in all female categories at the Olympic Games and other IOC-sanctioned events.
According to the IOC, the rule will apply to both individual and team sports, restricting eligibility in women’s events to biological females. The policy is not retroactive and will not affect grassroots or recreational sports programmes.
In its statement, the IOC said the decision is aimed at protecting “fairness, safety and integrity” in female competition. Eligibility will now be determined through a one-time test for the SRY gene, which the body says provides reliable evidence of male sex development.
The new regulation is set to take effect at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, marking the first Games under the updated rules. The move aligns with policies introduced by Donald Trump regarding women’s sports in the United States.
It remains unclear how many transgender women currently compete at the elite Olympic level. Notably, no athlete who transitioned from male to female featured at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.
