27/03/2026
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on March 26, 2026, that it is implementing a new universal eligibility policy for female category events, effectively banning transgender women and certain athletes with Differences in S*x Development (DSD) from competing in the female category at the Olympic Games.
The policy will officially apply beginning with the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
Participation in female category events (individual and team) is strictly limited to biological females.
Eligibility will be determined by a one-time SRY gene screening. The SRY gene is typically found on the Y chromosome and initiates male s*x development.
The screening will be conducted via saliva tests, cheek swabs, or blood samples.
The policy restricts female athletes with DSD conditions, such as two-time Olympic champion, who may have XY chromosomes despite being born and identifying as female.
The decision, led by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, shifts the organization away from its 2021 framework that allowed individual sports federations to set their own rules. The IOC stated the move is intended to protect "fairness, safety, and integrity in the female category".
A published 10-page research document details that biological males retain significant physical advantages in strength, power, and endurance even after transitioning, noting three testosterone peaks that occur throughout male development: in utero, during infancy, and from adolescent puberty through adulthood.
The policy does not apply retroactively and does not affect grassroots or recreational sports programs.
Athletes excluded from the female category remain eligible for male, open, or mixed categories for which they qualify.
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