Transgender athletes could soon be barred from competing at the Olympics under a proposed rule change expected to be introduced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2026.
The shift would mark the first major policy move under new IOC president Kirsty Coventry, a two-time Olympic swimming champion, and could take effect ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
US President Donald Trump has taken a strong stance against transgender participation in women’s sport since returning to office. Coventry and the IOC have since worked to align global sporting policies and “unify” the Games.
At present, individual Olympic sports set their own eligibility criteria.
However, that is expected to change following new research presented by the IOC’s medical and scientific director, Dr Jane Thornton, who reportedly delivered a “scientific, factual, dispassionate and unemotional” presentation to members.
According to The Times, Thornton’s findings indicated that athletes who experienced male puberty maintain physical advantages over female competitors even after testosterone suppression.
“An update was given by the IOC’s director of health, medicine and science to the IOC members last week during the IOC commission meetings,” the IOC said in a statement.
“The working group is continuing its discussions on this topic and no decisions have been taken yet. Further information will be provided in due course.”
While the IOC is not expected to implement the changes immediately, it is considering ways to avoid potential legal challenges – particularly concerning athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD).
Gender verification became a contentious issue at the Paris 2024 Olympics after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting – who are not transgender – won gold medals under intense scrutiny.
Both fighters had previously been disqualified from the 2023 world championships by the now-defunct International Boxing Association (IBA), which claimed they failed undisclosed eligibility tests.
The IBA, long plagued by corruption and controversy, has since been replaced by World Boxing, which will oversee the sport at the 2028 Games.
The organisation has introduced mandatory sex testing for all competitors, leading to Khelif’s withdrawal from the next world championships while she seeks to appeal the decision.
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first openly transgender athlete to compete at an Olympics in Tokyo 2021, but failed to complete any of her lifts.
Several sports – including World Rugby, World Athletics and World Aquatics – have already imposed bans on transgender athletes who underwent male puberty before transitioning.
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