The International Olympic Committee on Thursday, March 26 announced a new eligibility policy that will bar transgender women and certain athletes with Differences in Sex Development (DSD) from competing in female categories at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and at all future Olympic Games. IOC President Kirsty Coventry said the change was needed “to preserve fairness in women’s sport,” adding that “it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.”
Under the new rules, the IOC will require a one-time SRY gene screening for any athlete seeking entry to the female category. The SRY test-used to detect the presence of the sex-determining region Y gene commonly associated with male development-can be performed via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample, the IOC said, calling it “unintrusive compared to other possible methods.” The requirement will apply to all athletes entering the female category, including those designated female at birth.
The policy also tightens eligibility for athletes with DSD conditions, and names high-profile examples such as Caster Semenya as potentially affected; under the revised framework some DSD athletes may be excluded from women’s events. In a 10-page policy document released with the announcement, the IOC argued that measurable physiological differences justify a sex-based female category. The document states male athletes typically exhibit a 10–12% advantage in running and swimming, about 20% or more in jumping and throwing, and in some explosive, power-dependent sports an advantage that can exceed 100%.
The IOC said many transgender women and XY-DSD athletes retain testosterone levels in the male range and are androgen-sensitive-meaning their bodies may respond to testosterone in ways that boost strength, endurance and performance. “The Olympic movement has a compelling interest in maintaining a sex-based female category,” the document states, citing fairness, safety and the integrity of elite competition.
The move marks a major shift from the IOC’s previous policy of letting individual international federations set eligibility rules. The IOC has urged all governing bodies to adopt the unified standard for elite-level events at both Summer and Winter Games, while noting the rules will not apply to grassroots or recreational sport.
Original Source: https://www.guwahatiplus.com/international/ioc-bans-transgender-women-athletes-from-competing-at-female-events-at-olympics
Category: International
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Publish Date: 2026-03-27 18:58:00
