THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC Committee announced Thursday a policy that bans transgender athletes from competing in the women’s category at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The IOC issued an official statement outlining the new policy, which limits the women’s category “to biological females”.
Under the new policy, athletes who compete in the women’s category will be subject to a screening that aims to detect the Sex-determining region Y protein (SRY) gene. That particular gene “is found on the Y chromosome and is a key determinator of male-typical sex development.”
The IOC claimed Thursday that “the presence of the SRY gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male development”.
Athletes will be screened via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample, per the IOC. Any athlete who tests negative for the SRY gene will be eligible to compete in the women’s category at the Olympics. The IOC intends for the screening to serve as a “once-in-a-lifetime test” unless there is “reason to believe the negative reading is in error”.
The IOC statement in part:
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a new Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport and Guiding Considerations for International Federations and Sports Governing Bodies.
Following today’s approval of the policy by the IOC Executive Board, it will apply for the LA28 Olympic Games onwards, and is not retroactive.
Key facts:
Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one‑time SRY gene screening.
Evidence‑based and expert‑informed, the policy – applicable for the LA28 Olympic Games onwards – protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category.
It is not retroactive and does not apply to any grassroots or recreational sports programmes.
The policy explains that, for all disciplines on the sports programme of an IOC event, including the Olympic Games and for both individual and team sports, eligibility for any female category is limited to biological females.
Eligibility for the female category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY gene.
Based on scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the presence of the SRY gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male sex development. Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods.
Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the female category. Unless there is reason to believe that a negative reading is in error, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime test.
With the rare exception of athletes with a diagnosis of Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other rare differences/disorders in sex development (DSDs) who do not benefit from the anabolic and/or performance-enhancing effects of testosterone, no athlete with an SRY-positive screen is eligible for competition in the female category at an IOC event.
Athletes with an SRY-positive screen, including XY transgender and androgen-sensitive XY-DSD athletes, continue to be included in all other classifications for which they qualify. For example, they are eligible for any male category, including in a designated male slot within any mixed category, and any open category, or in sports and events that do not classify athletes by sex.
Speaking about the policy, IOC president Kirsty Coventry said: “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition. The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts. 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.”
She continued: “Every athlete must be treated with dignity and respect, and athletes will need to be screened only once in their lifetime. There must be clear education around the process and counselling available, alongside expert medical advice.”
