IOC Limits Women’s Olympic Participation To Biological Females; SRY Gene Screening Required
IOC bars transgender athletes from women’s events ahead of 2028 Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced new eligibility rules for female events ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, restricting participation in women’s categories to biological females. The revised policy introduces a one-time SRY gene screening test to determine eligibility, effectively excluding transgender women and certain athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD) from competing in women’s events.
Under the new regulations, the SRY gene test can be conducted using a saliva sample, cheek swab, or blood test and is required only once in an athlete’s lifetime. The move aims to ensure fairness in competition by preventing participation by individuals with male chromosomes or naturally higher testosterone levels, which the IOC says provide a physiological advantage in sports requiring strength, power, or endurance.
The decision marks a significant shift in Olympic policy. Transgender women, who were previously eligible to compete under certain conditions, will no longer be allowed in women’s events. During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Games, though she did not win a medal.
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The new rules also affect athletes with DSD. These are individuals registered female at birth but who possess male chromosomes and elevated testosterone levels. Prominent athletes such as South African runner Caster Semenya and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif could be excluded from future women’s Olympic events as a result of the policy.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, speaking in a video on X, described the policy as “based on science” and designed to protect fairness in women’s sports. She acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue, saying, “I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition. The scientific evidence is very clear—male chromosomes give performance advantages in sports that rely on strength, power or endurance.”
The announcement is expected to ignite global debate, raising questions about inclusion, fairness, and the balance between scientific evidence and athlete rights. The IOC emphasized that the policy has been developed with input from medical and sports science experts to safeguard competitive integrity in women’s events.
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