The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has introduced a sweeping ban on transgender women competing in any female-category events at the Olympic Games or other IOC-sanctioned competitions, covering both individual and team sports.
Under the new policy, eligibility for female categories will be limited exclusively to biological females, verified through a one-time SRY gene test, which the IOC says provides highly accurate evidence of male sex development.
Unveiled on Wednesday, the move is aimed at safeguarding fairness, safety, and the integrity of female competitions, ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The restriction applies to all Olympic and IOC events but does not affect grassroots or recreational sports programs.
“The policy protects fairness, safety, and integrity in the female category,” the IOC stated, adding that the SRY gene test is “fixed throughout life” and serves as a definitive determinant of biological sex.
The decision aligns IOC rules with a recent US executive order on women’s sports and represents a major shift in international sports governance.
It is not yet known how many transgender women, if any, currently compete at the Olympic level, with none participating in the 2024 Paris Games.
The ban is expected to take full effect from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, marking a landmark moment in the regulation of elite women’s sports.
