Transgender women banned from the 2028 L.A. Olympics by new IOC policy
As of the International Olympic Committee’s 2028 Los Angeles Games, trans female athletes will not be able to participate in the Olympics. new eligibility policy on Thursday.
Eligibility for women’s competition will be determined by a mandatory one-time genetic test, according to the IOC. The test requires screening through a saliva, cheek swab or blood sample.
No women who transitioned from male birth competed at the 2024 Paris Summer Games, and it is currently unclear whether any transgender women will compete at the Olympic level. But the new policy is consistent with President Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in sporting events for women and girls in the United States.
The IOC-approved eligibility policy is not retroactive and does not apply to recreational sports programmes.
The IOC said in a statement that it “protects justice, security and integrity in the women’s category.”
“Eligibility for any women’s category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological women.”
Until now, individual sports federations determined whether transgender women were allowed to compete in women’s categories; The IOC was only making recommendations. Sports that restricted transgender athletes included athletics, boxing, swimming and rugby.
IOC Executive Board After 18 months of study, he approved the new policy. Reflects guidelines approved by. World Athletics Council In June, eligibility for the female category is determined by screening for its absence or presence SRY gene.
The IOC policy is based on scientific research that takes into account the presence of the SRY gene, which is stable throughout life, and provides evidence that an athlete experiences male gender development. Athletes who test negative for the SRY gene will be eligible to compete in women’s sports.
SRY (which stands for sex determining region Y gene) is located on the Y chromosome. It was stated that it causes testicle formation by binding to other DNA in the cell. National Library of Medicine. Even men without a Y chromosome still have a copy of the SRY region on one of their X chromosomes, which explains their masculinity.
IOC medical and scientific director Jane Thornton last year presented findings to the governing body that transgender athletes born with male sexual markers had physical advantages, even if they had received treatment to reduce testosterone.
Former Olympic swimmer Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe was elected the first female president of the IOC a year ago. She campaigned on the importance of preserving the category of women.
“At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” Coventry said on Thursday. “So it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.”
