The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has introduced a major change in policy. According to which, transgender women will no longer be eligible to compete in women’s Olympic events. The rule will take effect from the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The decision follows months of debate after the Paris 2024 Summer Games and the Milano-Cortina Winter Games earlier this year, where questions of equality in women’s sport were raised.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said that the move was based on biological research and aims to protect the rights, safety and integrity of the women’s categories. The policy also applies to athletes with a difference in sexual development (DSD), such as South Africa’s Caster Semenya, who previously challenged gender eligibility rules.
What is the New Policy?
The new IOC guidelines state that eligibility for women’s events is limited to biological females, determined by a mandatory one-time genetic test. The test will examine the SRY gene, which indicates the development of the male sex. The IOC states that puberty in men provides permanent physical advantages in strength, power, and endurance, which cannot be fully reversed.
The International Olympic Committee announces a new Policy for the Protection of the Women’s Division (Women) in the Olympic Games.
Read: https://t.co/QcU5IVxyTi pic.twitter.com/3brHorx1k8
– IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) March 26, 2026
This policy applies only to elite Olympic level competitions and is not retroactive. It does not affect grassroots or recreational sports. Athletes will be tested once in their lives. The IOC has claimed that the process is non-invasive and requires saliva, cheek swabs or blood samples.
Decision Responses
The verdict has given mixed responses. Supporters, including the charity Sex Matters, welcomed the move, saying it protects a safe and fair women’s community. Critics, however, say the policy risks harming athletes with DSD.
US President Donald Trump praised the IOC’s decision, linking it to his executive order to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports in the US. He called the verdict a victory for women and girls.
At the same time, IOC President Coventry stressed that every athlete must be treated with dignity and respect. However, he emphasized that fairness in competition must come first. “In the Olympics, even the smallest margin can be the difference between victory and defeat,” he said.
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