The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it has officially adopted a policy protecting women’s competitions, banning the inclusion of biological men.
“Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one‑time SRY gene screening,” the IOC said in a statement. “Evidence‑based and expert‑informed, the policy – applicable for the LA28 Olympic Games onwards – protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category.”
The organization noted that the policy is “not retroactive and does not apply to any grassroots or recreational sports programmes.”
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said in a statement on the policy, “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition. The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts. At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat.”
“So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category,” she said. “In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.” Coventry added that every athlete “must be treated with dignity and respect, and athletes will need to be screened only once in their lifetime. There must be clear education around the process and counseling available, alongside expert medical advice.”
The IOC further stated that the Working Group on the Protection of the Female Category found that male sex “provides a performance advantage in all sports.”
Earlier this month, a group of human rights and sports advocacy groups demanded that the IOC avoid such a policy. “A sex testing and blanket ban policy would be a catastrophic erosion of women’s rights and safety,” said Executive Director of the Sport & Rights Alliance Andrea Florence. “Gender policing and exclusion harms all women and girls, and undermines the very dignity and fairness the IOC claims to uphold. Our concerns are compounded by the fact that the IOC also seems to be, at the same time, divesting from the safe sport infrastructure that actually provides protection for women and girls.”
