IOC Yet to Decide on Transgender Athletes’ Eligibility for Olympic Games

BERLIN, Nov 10:  The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says it has not yet reached a decision on setting universal eligibility rules for transgender athletes, as debate continues to intensify across the global sports community.

Under the leadership of newly appointed IOC president Kirsty Coventry, the organization reversed its earlier hands-off approach in June, choosing to take the lead in establishing eligibility standards for transgender participation at the Olympic Games. Previously, the IOC had left those decisions to individual sports federations, a move that led to inconsistent and fragmented policies across sports.

In September, Coventry launched the “Protection of the Female Category” working group, which includes experts and representatives from international federations. The group’s aim is to explore how best to ensure fairness in women’s sports while respecting inclusivity principles.

“An update was given by the IOC’s Director of Health, Medicine and Science to IOC members last week,” an IOC spokesperson said on Monday.
“The working group is continuing its discussions, and no decisions have been taken yet. Further information will be provided in due course.”

Currently, transgender athletes remain eligible to compete at the Olympics under existing guidelines. Only a small number of openly transgender athletes have participated in the Games so far, most notably New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, who became the first openly transgender athlete to compete in a category different from their birth-assigned gender during the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.

While some international federations have since established policies, others are still developing frameworks, resulting in wide variations across sports.

Several major federations have tightened eligibility criteria in recent years. World Rugby has banned transgender athletes from competing at elite levels. World Athletics restricts transgender women who have undergone male puberty from participating in female events. World Aquatics allows transgender athletes who transitioned before age 12 to compete but excludes those who transitioned afterward. Boxing and athletics have introduced SRY gene testing to identify athletes with Differences of Sexual Development (DSD), individuals who were raised female but may have physical traits associated with male biology.

Meanwhile, FIFA has yet to finalize an updated policy on transgender participation, although some national associations, such as England’s FA, have independently imposed bans in women’s competitions.

In the United States, the issue has also taken a political turn. President Donald Trump signed the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order in February, banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s categories at the school level. He has also stated that he would not permit transgender athletes to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Following this directive, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee amended its own rules, effectively barring transgender participation in women’s sports at the national level, a move widely criticized by civil rights organizations as discriminatory.

The IOC’s pending decision marks a critical juncture for international sport, as it seeks to balance fairness, safety, and inclusion amid scientific, ethical, and political pressures.

While no timeline has been announced, the final framework, once decided, is expected to have far-reaching implications for the Paris 2028 Games and beyond.