New Olympic Policy Bars Trans Women From Competing

The International Olympic Committee announced a ban on transgender female athletes competing in women’s events.

Eligibility will be based on a one-time genetic screening for the SRY gene, which is typically associated with male sex development.

Athletes who test negative would be cleared to compete in women’s events, while those who test positive would be barred, with limited exceptions for some athletes with specific intersex variations.

The new rules will go into effect for the next Olympics to be held in Los Angeles in 2028.

Breaking News: The International Olympic Committee barred transgender athletes from competing in the women’s category at the Olympics, after telling its members to conduct mandatory genetic testing for women’s competitions. https://t.co/gTFOuBOE92

— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 26, 2026

From the New York Times:

Under the new policy eligibility will be determined by a one-time gene test, according to the I.O.C. The test, which is already being used in track and field, requires screening via saliva, a cheek swab or a blood sample.

“At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” Kirsty Coventry [president of IOC] said in a statement announcing the news.

“So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”

Eric Vilain, a human geneticist at the University of California at Irvine, who advised the I.O.C. for almost a decade through 2017 on questions related to gender and sex eligibility, said the science was “not settled at all.”

The new rule allows athletes who identify as transgender men (declared female at birth) are not barred from competing in women’s events.

Research on whether trans athletes have an advantage after a significant period of cross-gender hormones has been mixed, with a recent study finding no clear edge for trans women.

Until today, the IOC had allowed trans women to compete with reduced testosterone levels, but left the final decision to individual sports federations.

In recent years, several sports, including track and field, cycling, and swimming, have adopted restrictions barring transgender women who experienced male puberty from competing in women’s categories.

This new rule also bans from women’s competition a small group of athletes who do not have the typical female XX sex chromosomes.

The new rules apply for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. https://t.co/RzMA7Ln4UH

— The Advocate (@TheAdvocateMag) March 26, 2026