The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that the women’s category at the Olympic Games will be restricted to biological females starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, marking a major shift in global sports policy after years of controversy.
Under the new rule, eligibility will be determined through a one-time genetic screening designed to detect the presence of the SRY gene, which is part of the Y chromosome and plays a key role in male biological development. The IOC said the screening could be conducted through a saliva sample, cheek swab or blood test and would only need to be done once in an athlete’s lifetime.
Athletes who test negative for the SRY gene will permanently qualify for the female category. Those who test positive will not be eligible for women’s events but may still compete in male divisions, mixed categories or open competitions.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said the policy was developed following consultations with medical experts and athlete groups, emphasizing the need to protect fairness in elite competition.
“At the Olympic Games even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” Coventry said. “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.”
The decision represents a significant change in IOC policy. Until now, the organization allowed individual international sports federations to set their own eligibility rules for women’s competition. Some sports, including athletics, swimming, cycling and rowing, had already restricted participation by transgender women who went through male puberty, while others allowed participation if testosterone levels were reduced.
The issue gained global attention at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Games. However, by the Paris 2024 Olympics there were no known transgender women competing in the female category due to new restrictions introduced by various federations.
The new IOC policy will also apply to most athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD), conditions in which a person’s biological characteristics may include a mix of male and female traits. Athletes with DSD who experienced male puberty will generally not be eligible for the female category.
One exemption exists for athletes with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS), a rare condition in which individuals have XY chromosomes but do not develop male physical characteristics and do not undergo male puberty.
The debate over DSD athletes has been highly visible in recent years, particularly involving two-time Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya. Semenya, who has XY chromosomes due to her DSD condition, has long challenged regulations that required her to reduce her testosterone levels to compete in women’s events, arguing that the rules are discriminatory.
Reacting to the IOC’s new policy, Semenya criticized the decision, saying it was influenced by politics rather than science and failed to properly consider the rights of affected athletes.
Supporters of the rule say it protects fairness and safety in women’s sport. Groups advocating for sex-based competition argue that biological differences developed during male puberty can create significant performance advantages in strength, endurance and power.
World Athletics, which previously introduced its own restrictions, welcomed the move, saying a consistent global approach would help ensure a level playing field and encourage more women and girls to participate in sport.
However, critics warn that mandatory sex testing raises ethical concerns and could violate athletes’ privacy and human rights. Some academics and advocacy groups have described the policy as outdated and overly simplistic, arguing that biological sex cannot be reduced to a single gene.
Sex verification testing was used by the IOC in the 1980s but was abandoned in the 1990s after cases of false positives and concerns that female athletes with natural biological variations were being unfairly excluded.
The IOC said the new policy was developed after an 18-month review of scientific research and consultations with athletes and experts. It emphasized that the testing process will be confidential, respectful and accompanied by medical counseling where necessary.
The organization also clarified that the rule will apply only to elite Olympic competition and will not affect grassroots or recreational sports programs.
With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics approaching, the decision is expected to reshape how international sports federations regulate women’s competition and could face legal challenges as the debate over fairness, inclusion and human rights continues worldwide.
