LAUSANNE, Switzerland —The International Olympic Committee published a new policy Thursday that protects the female category in Olympic competition by limiting the female category to biological females only.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, a former Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe and the first African woman to serve as president, announced the framework after she established a review of the issue shortly after taking office in 2025.
The Olympic Committee based its policy on scientific evidence that male chromosomes create performance advantages in sports reliant on strength, power and endurance. It requires athletes to undergo a one-time SRY gene test to confirm the absence of a Y chromosome for eligibility in the female category and takes effect at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advantages in sports that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” Coventry said in Thursday’s announcement. “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. In addition, in some sports, it would simply not be safe.”
Coventry stressed that the decision came from medical experts with the best interests of athletes at heart. Every athlete will receive education around the process, along with counseling and expert medical advice available. The IOC drew a distinction between elite Olympic sport, where fairness and safety come first, and grassroots or recreational programs, where widespread participation remains a priority.
In the years leading up to the announcement, the committee had left eligibility decisions largely to individual international sports federations. Recent controversies involving athletes with differences of sex development at the Paris Games contributed to calls for clearer standards across the board. Coventry’s review produced the centralized approach that now aligns directly with preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Games by establishing uniform rules well in advance.
Supporters such as World Athletics President Sebastian Coe welcomed the science-driven step to safeguard opportunities for female athletes. Opponents from human rights and advocacy groups voiced fears that the mandatory testing could exclude talented competitors and raise privacy concerns.
In Washington state, Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown have supported policies allowing transgender athletes to participate in school sports according to their gender identity and have affirmed the state’s commitment to equal access regardless of gender identity.
Author: Mario Lotmore
