Transgender Women Set To Be Banned From Female Sports In Olympic Games: Report
The IOC plans to ban transgender women from female categories after a review found lasting physical advantages despite testosterone suppression.
- IOC plans to ban transgender women from female categories after science review finds lasting advantages
- Current IOC policy allows transgender women to compete if testosterone is suppressed
- Ban aims to be in place before 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, aligning with US executive order
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is reportedly preparing to introduce a ban on transgender women competing in female categories, following a science-based review that concluded permanent physical advantages remain for athletes born male. Until now, IOC guidance allowed transgender women to compete if their testosterone levels were reduced, leaving final decisions to individual sports. That policy is set to change under new IOC president Kirsty Coventry, who has pledged to safeguard the female category.
At a recent meeting in Lausanne, IOC medical and scientific director Dr Jane Thornton presented initial findings of the review. According to a report in The Times, Thornton - a former Olympic rower - outlined evidence showing that physical advantages persist even after testosterone suppression. The report described the presentation as "scientific, factual and unemotional," with strong positive feedback from IOC members.
"It was a very scientific, factual, and unemotional presentation which quite clearly laid out the evidence," the report quoted a source saying.
The new rules are expected to be announced early next year, likely during the IOC session at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February. Legal work is still underway to ensure the policy is watertight, as IOC eligibility rules have so far been based only on recommendations.
The ban is expected to take effect before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order barring transgender women from female categories. Trump has warned that the U.S. would deny visas to transgender athletes attempting to compete in LA.
Several sports, including athletics and swimming, have already introduced bans on athletes who underwent male puberty, while others, such as football have not.
The move comes after controversy at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting won gold medals despite being disqualified from the previous year's World Boxing Championships over gender eligibility concerns.