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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Thursday that it is adopting a new policy that will ensure only biological women compete in women’s competitions.
The new policy also uses genetic tests to verify the biological sex of competitors in the women’s section.
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“Eligibility for any women’s category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one-time SRY re-screening,” the new policy states.
“Evidence-based and expertly informed, the policy – applicable for the LA28 Olympic Games and beyond – protects fairness, safety and integrity in the women’s category.”
The test can be performed via saliva, cheek swab or blood test.
The IOC said it came to the decision to implement the policy after consulting a panel of experts with the aim of giving women equal opportunities in sport.
“The policy was developed on the basis that it is universally accepted that the provision of a women’s category is necessary to give both men and women equal access to elite sport,” the IOC said in a statement.
“It was guided by the IOC’s modern goals of equality (equal opportunities for female athletes in finals, podiums and championships); strengthening the Olympic value (with both women’s and men’s finals in all sports); and visibility and inspiration (celebrating female athletes on the Olympic podium and girls to inspire and represent women worldwide”).
WOMEN’S SPORTS ACTIVISTS REACT AS BOXER IMANE KHELIF CONSENT TO BIOLOGICAL SEX
IOC President Kristy Coventry suggested that the continued activation of men in women’s sports is “not safe” in the announcement.
“As a former athlete, I believe passionately in the rights of all Olympians to participate in fair competition. The policy we have announced is based on science and has been guided by medical experts. At the Olympic Games, even the smallest of margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” Coventry said.
“So it’s quite clear that it wouldn’t be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. Additionally, in some sports it simply wouldn’t be safe.”
A presentation on one World Athletics panel in Tokyo in September revealed that 50 to 60 athletes with male biological advantages have been finalists in the female category at global and continental championships since 2000.
The panel was chaired by the head of the World Athletics Health and Science Department, Dr. Stéphane Bermon, who said gender tests were necessary due to an “over-representation” of DSD athletes (differences in gender development) among finalists, per more reports.
Last October, the UN said nearly 900 biological women have fallen short of the podium because they were beaten by trans athletes.
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The Olympic rings at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters. (LAURENT GILLIERON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The findings were compiled by Reem Alsalem, UN Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and entitled “Violence against women and girls in sport.”
The report said more than 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions in 29 sports, totaling more than 890 medals, according to information obtained as of March 30.
