The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced significant and contentious changes for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Male athletes who identify as transgender will be barred from competing in certain women’s categories, specifically in sports that emphasize strength, power, and endurance. This new policy was revealed on Thursday, and it aims to safeguard the women’s category in Olympic sports while providing a clearer definition of female and male athletes.
The 10-page policy details that a “working group” of experts has been convened to help clarify these definitions.
Experts Collaborate on Definitions
According to the policy, the working group consists of members from five continents, including specialists in sports science, endocrinology, transgender medicine, sports medicine, women’s health, ethics, and law. Moreover, the group included chief medical officers from various international federations representing both individual and team sports.
The consensus of the group indicates that the most reliable method currently available to determine biological sex is by testing for the SRY gene, a DNA segment typically found on the Y chromosome that plays a key role in male sexual development in the womb.
Biological Sex vs. Gender Identity
However, the IOC clarified that biological sex and gender identity are not the same. Biological males generally exhibit higher levels of testosterone, increased muscle mass, larger hearts, and more red blood cells than females who are trained to similar standards. This biological advantages suggests that male and transgender male athletes may have a competitive edge in female events.
The task force also emphasized that “XY transgender athletes retain performance advantages due to inherent characteristics and training.” They noted that there’s currently no evidence showing that suppressing testosterone or undergoing hormone therapy would completely negate this benefit.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry stated, “As a former athlete, I believe strongly in the right for all Olympic athletes to engage in fair competition.” She remarked that the policies are informed by scientific research and guided by medical professionals. “Even slight margins can determine the outcome of a competition. It’s evident that having men compete in women’s categories is unfair and, in some cases, unsafe,” she added.
Coventry further highlighted that athletes deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, indicating that testing should only occur once throughout an athlete’s life. She stressed the importance of education regarding counseling and processes related to these matters.
Past support for similar initiatives has been expressed by former President Donald Trump, who favored measures to restrict male participation in women’s sports across various domains, including education. In February 2025, he signed a presidential order reinforcing this stance, stating, “The policy of the United States will oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports for reasons of safety, equity, dignity, and truth.”
Related Articles
Supreme Court appears poised to uphold state law protecting women’s sports.
