Transgender women athletes have been banned from competing in Olympic women’s events under a new eligibility policy, the International Olympic Committee announced on Thursday, March 26.
The rule will take effect in time for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
“For all disciplines on the sports programme of an IOC event, including the Olympic Games and for both individual and team sports, eligibility for any female category is limited to biological females,” the IOC said, adding that the classification will be determined through a one‑time gene screening program.
The Olympic governing body said the policy is intended to “ensure fairness, and to protect safety, particularly in contact sports,” and is a shift from its previous approach of leaving eligibility decisions to individual federations.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said the rule is based on scientific and medical guidance.
“At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” Coventry, who began leading the organization last year, said in a statement. “It would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.”
The move aligns with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump barring transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports and follows a similar policy adopted by the U.S. Olympic Committee last year.
