New Olympic Policy: Transgender Women Ineligible for Women’s Competitions from 2028

Transgender women will no longer be allowed to compete in women’s events at the Olympic Games, following a new policy announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The decision will come into effect from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. According to the IOC, only athletes who are female by birth will be eligible to compete in the women’s category under the revised guidelines. The policy introduces mandatory gender verification through genetic testing, specifically SRY gene screening. This test may be conducted using saliva, throat swabs, or blood samples. The IOC clarified that athletes who were born female but now identify as male transgender individuals will still be permitted to compete in women’s events. Previously, transgender women were allowed to participate in women’s competitions if they met certain criteria, such as maintaining low testosterone levels. In some cases, the decision was left to individual sports federations. However, the IOC has now moved towards a uniform policy applicable across all sports to ensure consistency in regulations. The committee stated that the revised rules aim to ensure fair competition in sports. It also noted that several sports organizations had already implemented restrictions on transgender athletes prior to this decision. Separately, former US President Donald Trump had issued an executive order in February last year, stating that transgender women would not be granted visas for participation in the Los Angeles Olympics. The IOC clarified that the new rule will apply only to professional sports competitions and will not impact grassroots-level sporting activities.