Olympics announce new transgender ban from all women’s categories

Transgender women athletes are now excluded from Olympics women’s categories after the International Olympics Committee (IOC) agreed to a new eligibility policy Thursday.

A statement released Thursday morning, outlined new rule limits of eligibility to begin with the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

The IOC said “eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females.”

Eligibility will be determined by “a once-in-a-lifetime SRY gene screening” test.

“Based on scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the presence of the SRY gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male sex development,” reads the statement.

The IOC says athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy the policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the female category.

It is unclear how many transgender women are competing at an Olympic level.

The committee says the policy was developed after a review process between September 2024 and March 2026, which included consultations with “experts in relevant fields” and feedback from Olympic Movement constituents — including International Federations and athletes from around the world.

“The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts,” said Kirsty Coventry, the president of the IOC. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.”

READ MORE: Canada’s Winter Games results draw attention to sport commission report