The IOC revealed its new policy after an 18-month consultation phase focused on the protection of the female category. This is part of its initiative to establish a universal rule for competitors in female elite sports following years of inconsistent regulations that sparked significant controversies.
All athletes seeking to qualify or participate in female category events from the LA2028 Olympics onward will be required to undergo an SRY gene test to confirm their eligibility.
“Based on scientific evidence, the IOC believes that the presence of the SRY gene is consistent throughout life and serves as highly accurate proof that an athlete has experienced male sex development,” the IOC stated.
For a long time, the IOC refrained from implementing a universal rule regarding transgender participation in the Olympics and, in 2021, directed international federations to create their own guidelines.
New IOC President Kirsty Coventry reversed this stance immediately upon taking office in June last year, stating that her organization would lead efforts for a consistent approach.
“At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can distinguish between victory and defeat,” Coventry said in the statement. “Therefore, it is evident that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. Additionally, in some sports, it could be unsafe.”
The new rules do not have retroactive implications and will not affect grassroots or amateur sports.
The IOC noted exceptions for rare instances of sex development.
“With the rare exceptions of athletes diagnosed with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other uncommon differences/disorders in sex development (DSDs) who do not gain advantages 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,” the IOC stated.
The Paris 2024 Olympics faced a significant gender controversy involving two boxers competing in the female categories, both of whom secured gold medals in their weight classes. A year prior, they had been barred from the world championships by their international federation due to a gender eligibility test.
FEDERATION RULES
Until Thursday, transgender athletes were permitted to compete in the Olympics once approved by their corresponding federations.
Some federations, such as athletics, swimming, and rugby union, had already established their own rules excluding athletes who underwent male puberty from competing in the women’s class. However, many smaller federations had yet to finalize their own regulations.
Only a small number of openly transgender athletes have participated in the Games. New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard made history as the first openly transgender athlete to compete in a different gender category from that assigned at birth when she took part in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
U.S. President Donald Trump last year prohibited transgender athletes from competing in school, college, and professional events in the female category in the United States, as Los Angeles prepares to host the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Trump, who signed the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” order in February 2025, has stated that he would not permit transgender athletes to compete at the LA Games.
