IOC Approves New Rule Limiting Women’s Olympic Events to Biological Females from LA 2028
By Bilal Haider :
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved a new policy restricting participation in the women’s category at the Olympic Games to biological females, introducing mandatory genetic screening beginning with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The decision was endorsed by the IOC Executive Board and will apply to competitions from the LA28 Games onward, the organisation said on Thursday. The rules will not be applied retroactively to past Olympic events.
Mandatory SRY Gene Screening
Under the new framework, eligibility for women’s events at the Olympics and other IOC competitions will be determined through a one-time genetic test for the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome and associated with male biological development.
The IOC said athletes who test negative for the SRY gene will be permanently eligible to compete in the women’s category. The screening can be conducted using saliva samples, cheek swabs or blood tests and will generally only be required once during an athlete’s lifetime unless questions arise over the results.
Athletes who test positive for the gene will not be permitted to compete in women’s events at IOC competitions.
Exceptions and Alternative Categories
The policy allows limited exceptions for athletes diagnosed with rare conditions, including Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or certain differences in sex development, where medical evidence shows no competitive advantage linked to testosterone.
Athletes who are not eligible for women’s events may still compete in men’s competitions, mixed events in designated male positions, or open categories where available.
IOC Says Policy Aims to Ensure Fairness
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said the rule change was designed to maintain fairness and safety in elite sport.
“As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition,” she said. “It would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category, and in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
She added that athletes affected by the policy must be treated “with dignity and respect”, with access to counselling, education and medical support throughout the eligibility process.
Review and Consultation Process
The IOC said the new policy followed a review conducted between September 2024 and March 2026, involving consultations with medical, legal and ethical experts, as well as feedback from more than 1,100 athletes worldwide.
A working group established in 2025 concluded that biological male characteristics can provide performance advantages in sports involving strength, power and endurance, recommending biological sex as the primary basis for eligibility in women’s competitions.
The group also identified SRY gene screening as the most accurate and least intrusive testing method currently available.
Limited to Elite Olympic Competition
The IOC said the framework is intended for adoption by international sports federations and Olympic governing bodies when setting eligibility rules for IOC events.
Officials emphasised that the policy applies only to elite-level competitions under IOC jurisdiction and does not affect grassroots or recreational sports programmes.
The organisation added that athlete privacy, mental health and safeguarding would remain priorities, with national federations expected to ensure confidentiality and provide appropriate support during the screening process.
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