The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a new policy restricting eligibility in women’s events to biological females, beginning with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The policy, approved by the IOC Executive Board, requires a one-time SRY gene screening to determine eligibility and will not apply retroactively or to grassroots sports programs.
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Eligibility for any female category event, including individual and team sports, will be based on the presence or absence of the SRY gene, a DNA segment found on the Y chromosome that triggers male sex development. Athletes who test negative will permanently satisfy the policy’s criteria. The IOC noted that individuals with an SRY-positive result, including XY transgender athletes and those with androgen-sensitive differences in sex development (DSDs), are ineligible for the female category but may compete in male, mixed, or open categories.
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IOC President Kirsty Coventry emphasized that the policy is grounded in scientific evidence and medical expertise. “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 remarked. Coventry also highlighted that athletes will be screened only once and that education, counseling, and medical guidance will be provided to ensure respect and dignity throughout the process.
The policy follows a review conducted between September 2024 and March 2026, which included consultations with experts in sports science, endocrinology, transgender medicine, and law, as well as feedback from over 1,100 athletes worldwide. The working group concluded that male sex provides performance advantages in sports relying on strength, power, and endurance, and identified SRY gene screening as the most accurate and minimally intrusive method for verifying biological sex.
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The IOC’s new guidelines replace previous statements on gender inclusion and are intended for adoption by International Federations and other governing bodies for Olympic competitions, reaffirming the organization’s stated commitment to fairness, safety, and integrity in elite sport.
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