IOC Bans Transgender Women from 2028 Olympics, Aligning with Trump’s Policy
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned transgender women from competing in women’s events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, implementing a novel eligibility policy that requires a one-time genetics test. The decision aligns with a previous executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Under the new policy, eligibility for female category events will be determined by screening for the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development in utero. The IOC states this test is “the most accurate and least intrusive method currently available.”
Policy Details and Rationale
The IOC’s policy document, published on Thursday, details research suggesting that being born male confers physical advantages that are retained even after testosterone-reduction treatment. The document cites performance advantages of 10-12% in most running and swimming events, at least 20% in throwing and jumping events, and potentially over 100% in explosive power events like punching sports.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry emphasized the importance of fairness in competition. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” she stated. “So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.”
The policy is not retroactive and does not apply to grassroots or recreational sports programs. It also addresses athletes with differences in sex development (DSD), such as two-time Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya, who have medical conditions affecting testosterone levels.
Alignment with U.S. Policy
The White House welcomed the IOC’s decision, stating it was a result of President Trump’s executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” issued in February of the previous year. The order pledged to deny visas to some athletes attempting to compete at the L.A. Olympics and threatened to withhold funds from organizations allowing transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports.
Previous Restrictions and Potential Challenges
Before the 2024 Paris Olympics, track and field, swimming, and cycling had already excluded transgender women who had gone through male puberty. Semenya previously challenged track and field’s eligibility rules at the European Court of Human Rights, but the rules were not overturned.
The IOC anticipates potential legal challenges to the new policy at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. Athletes like Dutee Chand of India and Semenya have previously challenged eligibility rules at this court.
Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, one of the two women’s boxing gold medallists at the center of a gender controversy in Paris, has passed her gene test and is eligible to compete, according to World Boxing. Imane Khelif of Algeria is also reportedly preparing for a gene test to qualify for the L.A. Olympics and is preparing for a professional bout.
Coventry’s Stance and Prior Efforts
Coventry stated that the decision was a priority for her even before President Trump’s second term and that there was no external pressure from the White House. She initiated a review of “protecting the female category” shortly after becoming the first woman to lead the IOC in its 132-year history.