IOC Mandates One-Time Gene Test for Olympic Women's Events from 2028

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced new eligibility rules on Thursday, limiting women’s category events at the Olympics, Youth Olympics, and qualifiers to athletes verified as biological females through a single SRY gene test.

Starting with the LA2028 Games, competitors must pass this non-invasive test—via saliva, cheek swab, or blood—once in their career. The SRY gene indicates male sex development, which the IOC says provides fixed, accurate evidence of puberty-related advantages.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry emphasized fairness and safety, noting that tiny margins decide outcomes and biological males competing against females would be unfair and potentially unsafe in some sports. The policy stems from an 18-month consultation and reverses the IOC’s prior hands-off approach, where federations set their own rules.

Transgender women and SRY-positive DSD athletes are excluded from women’s events but can compete in male, mixed male slots, or open categories. Rare exceptions apply for conditions like Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) where no testosterone benefits occur. The rules are not retroactive and exclude grassroots levels.

This follows controversies, including the Paris 2024 boxing gender dispute where two gold medalists had prior bans. Federations like World Athletics already use similar testing.

Critics, including LGBTQ+ groups like ILGA, argue it scrutinizes women’s bodies and undermines inclusion. Only a few transgender athletes, such as Laurel Hubbard in Tokyo 2021, have competed in Olympics women’s events.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order also bans transgender athletes from women’s sports ahead of LA2028.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)