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ioc-transgender-athletes-ban.html

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Olympic Committee Bars Transgender Athletes From Women's Events

The decision is the most significant since Kirsty Coventry was
elected last year to serve as president of the I.O.C.

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Transgender Athletes Barred From Women's Olympic Events
1:07
The International Olympic Committee announced a ban on transgender
athletes competing in women's events. The rule, which will go into
effect during the 2028 Olympics, will require athletes to undergo
genetic testing.CreditCredit...Vincent Alban/The New York Times
Tariq Panja

By Tariq Panja

March 26, 2026Updated 4:46 p.m. ET
Leer en espanol

The International Olympic Committee has barred transgender athletes
from competing in the women's category of the Olympics and said that
all participants in those events must undergo genetic testing.

The decision, the most consequential since Kirsty Coventry was
elected last year as the first woman to serve as president of the
I.O.C., followed a board meeting and months of speculation over the
organization's policy on one of the most contentious issues facing
global sports. The rules will be applicable starting at the next
Olympics, in Los Angeles in 2028.

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.

When Ms. Coventry, a former Olympic champion swimmer from Zimbabwe,
campaigned to lead the organization, she frequently said how
important it was to protect the women's category amid broader -- and
often bitter -- debates about the participation of transgender
athletes in sporting competitions.

"At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the
difference between victory and defeat," Ms. Coventry 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."

She added the new policy "is based on science and has been led by
medical experts." The ruling has no bearing on recreational sports,
while athletes self-identifying as transgender men are not barred
from competing in women's event.

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