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The International Olympic Committee has adopted a new eligibility policy that confines participation in the female category at Olympic events to what it calls biological women. Announced after an executive board meeting, the policy specifies a one-time screening for the SRY gene as the determining criterion for access to women’s events at the Olympic Games and other IOC competitions. The move replaces the previous practice of leaving sex-based eligibility to individual sports federations and will take effect from the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The IOC described the policy as focused on protecting fairness, safety and integrity in women’s competition while clarifying that it is not retroactive and does not apply to grassroots or recreational programs.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry, who prioritized a review of the female category when she became the body’s first female president, framed the decision as driven by expert advice and competitive realities where marginal gains matter. The new guidance is laid out in a published policy document and also addresses athletes with medical conditions described as differences in sex development (DSD). The policy drew praise from some quarters including a White House statement linking the move to a U.S. executive order on women’s sports, and is expected to reshape national and international federation rules as the sport community prepares for LA 2028.
Key provisions of the new eligibility policy
The policy requires a single, lifelong test that screens for the SRY gene, a DNA segment typically found on the Y chromosome associated with male sex development. An athlete who tests negative for SRY will be considered permanently eligible for the IOC’s female category. Those who test positive are not eligible for female events but remain qualified for any male, mixed or open categories for which they meet criteria. The IOC emphasized that the screening method—via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample—is the most accurate and least intrusive option available today. The document is explicit that the policy will be enforced at Olympic and IOC events and aims to provide a uniform standard across sports.
Science cited and who is affected
The IOC’s expert group concluded that being born male confers lasting physiological advantages, noting three significant testosterone peaks in males: in utero, during infancy and at puberty. The policy summary cites performance gaps it attributes to those biological differences: roughly 10–12 percent in many running and swimming events, at least 20 percent in many throwing and jumping events, and substantially larger gaps for explosive or contact events described as sometimes exceeding 100 percent. Under its terms, most athletes who went through male puberty and many with DSD will be excluded from the female category, with a narrow exemption for certain rare conditions such as complete androgen insensitivity syndrome.
SRY gene screening explained
The screening looks for the presence of the SRY gene, which the IOC says reliably indicates the presence of testes and male sex development in utero. The test is intended as a one-time procedural step: a negative result satisfies female-category eligibility permanently unless there is reason to suspect an error. The IOC framed this approach as more straightforward than prior frameworks that relied on hormone thresholds or sport-specific rules. While the IOC and some federations already perform chromosome or gene checks in select disciplines, the new policy standardizes that tool across Olympic events and makes it mandatory for those seeking to compete in the female category at IOC competitions.
Impact on athletes with DSD and named cases
High-profile athletes and those with DSD histories are directly affected. The policy explicitly covers many athletes with differences in sex development and changes prior allowances based on testosterone management. Public examples cited in past debates include athletes such as Caster Semenya and athletes who previously competed after transition, like Laurel Hubbard. The controversy around boxing gold medallists and other competitors who faced eligibility checks underscores how the policy could change selection and participation. The IOC says the intent is not to bar anyone from sport generally—excluded athletes may still enter other classification categories where applicable.
Reactions, legal avenues and what comes next
The announcement is expected to prompt legal challenges, likely to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, where previous sex-eligibility disputes have been argued. Athletes and advocacy groups have already signaled potential appeals that will scrutinize the scientific basis and human-rights implications of mandatory genetic screening. National federations will also have to update selection guidance, and some athletes have indicated they will undertake the test to preserve Olympic eligibility. The IOC acknowledges any rule can be contested, and the coming months and years will likely see both regulatory adjustments and courtroom scrutiny as the international sports community adapts to the new standard.