The International Olympic Committee is still deliberating on a universal policy regarding the eligibility of transgender athletes for the Olympic Games, with a growing shift among international sports bodies towards tightening criteria.
The IOC, led by new president Kirsty Coventry, performed a U-turn in June by deciding to take the lead in setting these rules for the games, moving away from its previous position of delegating the responsibility to individual sports federations, which resulted in a "confusing patchwork" of different approaches.
The lack of an immediate decision comes as the IOC's newly formed ‘Protection of the Female Category’ working group continues its discussions. This group, established in September by Coventry, is composed of experts and representatives from various international federations tasked with finding the best way to protect the female category in sports.
On Monday, an IOC spokesperson confirmed the working group's status: "The working group is continuing its discussions on this topic, and no decisions have been taken yet. Further information will be provided in due course."
The internal review follows a presentation given to IOC members last week by Dr. Jane Thornton, the IOC’s Director of Health, Medicine and Science. Dr. Thornton reportedly provided a science-based review suggesting that athletes born male retain permanent physiological advantages, even after reducing testosterone levels.
This evidence is fueling speculation that a blanket ban on athletes who have gone through male puberty, from competing in the female category, is the likely "direction of travel," possibly coming into effect around the summer of 2026, well before the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Several major international federations have already acted to implement stricter rules. World Athletics and World Rugby have banned athletes who have gone through male puberty from competing in the elite female category. World Aquatics allows transgender athletes only if they transitioned before the age of 12.
This shift in sentiment is supported by a move in the United States, where President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports in schools and vowed to prevent them from competing at the LA 2028 Summer Olympics.
The policy development is also tackling the complex issue of athletes with Differences of Sexual Development, who have male chromosomes and testosterone levels but were raised as female. The future policy remains less clear for DSD athletes, who have been barred by World Athletics but allowed by football's governing body, FIFA.
The debate around DSD athletes was central to controversies at the Paris 2024 Olympics boxing events. Ultimately, the new IOC policy aims to provide a unified framework, replacing the current rules which still allow transgender athletes to participate in the Olympics.