Bhubaneswar: The International Olympic Committee is now edging toward a major policy shift that could ban transgender women from competing in women’s events. The change comes after years of varying rules across sports and mounting pressure to ensure what the IOC terms “fair competition”.
At the heart of the development is IOC President Kirsty Coventry’s declaration that there is “overwhelming support” among members to protect the female category. She said the IOC will form a working group of scientific experts and international federations to draw up new criteria.
Under the current system, a 2021 IOC guideline left individual sports federations to define their own transgender policy. Coventry’s remarks signal a departure from that approach. She said: “We understand that there will be differences depending on the sports. But it was fully agreed … we should make the effort … to protect the female category.”
The proposed ban follows growing concern that athletes who have gone through male puberty may retain physical advantages, even after transition. Though the IOC hasn’t formally issued a blanket ban yet, reports say the groundwork is laid and the final decision could be presented soon.
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While the policy direction is clear, details are scant—such as exactly how trans women will be defined, what duration of hormone therapy might be required, or how past results will be handled. Coventry made it clear that the IOC will not revisit medals or results retrospectively.
The shift has drawn mixed reactions. Supporters argue the measure is needed to preserve fairness in women’s sport. Critics caution that exclusionary measures could undermine the inclusion of transgender athletes and call for more evidence‐based approaches. The coming months will be crucial for how sports federations align themselves with the IOC’s revised direction.
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