Organisers of the Olympic Games are reportedly moving towards enforcing a comprehensive ban on transgender women from competing in women’s events.
According to reports from Sky News and other outlets, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is contemplating changes that would mirror recent policy shifts by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which have effectively barred transgender women from all women’s sporting competitions.
In addition to transgender athletes, Olympic officials are said to be considering restrictions on competitors with differences in sex development (DSD). These discussions reportedly followed a presentation by Dr Jane Thornton, director of the IOC’s health, medicine and science department.
Dr Thornton is believed to have outlined the potential physical advantages transgender women may hold in female sport—despite other studies disputing such advantages at elite levels.
IOC members were also briefed on the mechanics of sex testing, a method employed by World Athletics. If approved, a formal ban on transgender women could be implemented in time for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. However, any final decision would first need to be reviewed and voted on in a full IOC session.
This potential shift follows the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s quiet revision of its eligibility policies in July. The committee added a “short, vaguely worded paragraph” referencing a commitment to ensuring a “fair and safe competition environment” for women, in line with Executive Order 14201—an order originally signed by former President Donald Trump—and the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.
The updated policy affirms collaboration with the IOC, International Paralympic Committee, and the national governing bodies of each Olympic sport to uphold opportunities for female athletes.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry has also reaffirmed the committee’s stance on safeguarding women’s sport, stating the importance of protecting “the female category and athletes.” Her comments come in the wake of controversy at the 2024 Paris Olympics involving Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and increasing policies, particularly in the US, barring transgender women from women’s sport.
