The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday it will reintroduce genetic gender testing to determine eligibility for women’s events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“Eligibility to compete in any women’s category at the Olympic Games or any other IOC competition, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one-time gene screening,” the committee said after an 18-month consultation.
“Based on the scientific evidence, the IOC believes that the presence of the SRY gene is determined throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male sexual development.”
Olympic controversy over transgender athletes
In the announcement the IOC has abandoned previous rules introduced in 2021, which had allowed individual federations to set their own policy, in favor of a policy that applied across all sports.
The IOC announced the policy as part of its initiative to introduce a universal rule for competitors in women’s elite sports after years of fragmented rules sparked numerous controversies.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, boxers Imane Khalif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan won gold medals, a year after they were disqualified from the world championships run by the International Boxing Federation (IBA) after allegedly failing the eligibility test.
But the IOC, which has run the last two Olympic boxing tournaments because it suspended the IBA for various other reasons, said Khalif and Lin could compete because they were born and identify as women.
The new rule, which the IOC said applies to its specific Olympic events but not recreational or grassroots sports, is in line with an executive order issued by US President Donald Trump on transgender women in sports.
The IOC said its own research showed that athletes born male retain advantages in strength, power and endurance due to three significant testosterone peaks: “in utero, in the mini-puberty of infancy and at the beginning of adolescent puberty through adulthood.”
It said the male advantage ranged from 10-12% in endurance and speed-related sports like running or swimming, to more than 100% in power-based events like lifting or punching.
“In the Olympic Games, even the smallest margin can be the difference between victory and defeat,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry. “So, it is quite clear that it would not be appropriate for biological males to compete in the women’s category. Furthermore, in some sports it would not be safe at all.”
Coventry said the new rules would ensure “each athlete is treated with dignity and respect” and added: “Clear education about the process and counseling should be available, along with expert medical advice.”