Olympics Committee Bans Transgender Athletes From Competing in Women's Events. Here's What the Policy Says

The International Olympic Committee announced Thursday that transgender women will be barred from competing in women's events at the Olympics beginning with the 2028 Los Angeles Games, with eligibility determined through one-time SRY gene screening to identify biological females. IOC President Kirsty Coventry said the policy protects the female category based on scientific consensus that male sex provides performance advantages in strength, power, and endurance sports. The White House credited President Trump's Executive Order on women's sports for the decision, though the IOC made no reference to Trump in its announcement. Human rights groups and 90 advocacy organizations have condemned the policy as a "catastrophic erosion of women's rights," arguing it contradicts the IOC's own 2021 Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination and will disproportionately harm women athletes of color. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene will permanently satisfy eligibility criteria, except in rare cases of disorders of sex development like Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome.