IOC mandates re-screening to protect women’s sport
The International Olympic Committee announces a new policy for women’s sports that mandates re-screening to ensure only biological women compete, citing fairness and safety. Former Olympian Kirsty Coventry and others are championing the policy, with Caitlyn Jenner noting a “domino effect” on other sporting organisations. The move comes as US gas prices rise, affecting Americans’ personal financial situation, with a Pakinomist poll showing 46% are behind financially.
NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Former US women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe ripped the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for implementing a new policy to ensure fairness across women’s competitions.
The IOC said that “qualification 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 women, determined on the basis of a one-time SRY rescreening.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Groups of protesters stand in front of the US Supreme Court as the justices hear the landmark case to decide whether transgender girls should be allowed to participate in girls’ and women’s sports on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Credit: Andrew Thomas / CNP (Andrew Thomas/CNP for Pakinomist Digital)
The organization added that the policy was “evidence-based” and “expert-informed.” The test can be performed via saliva, cheek swab or blood test.
A presentation at a World Athletics panel in Tokyo in September revealed that 50 to 60 athletes with male biological advantages have been finalists in the women’s 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 testing was needed because of an “overrepresentation” of DSD (differences in gender development) athletes among finalists, per more reports.
However, Rapinoe dismissed the policy in the latest episode of her “A Touch More” podcast.
“Unfortunately, we have to say that all in the same breath when a really horrible rule came out of the International Olympic Committee,” Rapinoe said as she praised the transgender community. “They announced a new policy that they call, I can’t even believe they call it this because it has nothing to do with protecting women, I feel like two people who played at the very highest level for every competition you possibly could, don’t agree with this and never felt this was an issue at all, ‘The Protection of the Female’ [Women’s] Category.'”
Rapinoe rejected the idea that the policy was rooted in science, saying the IOC was subjecting women to “invasive testing”.
A protester to protect women’s sports gathers outside the Supreme Court on January 13, 2026 in Washington, DC Groups from both sides of the debate gathered Tuesday morning to protest as two cases banning transgender girls from participating in girls’ and women’s sports teams are heard at the Supreme Court. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
OLYMPIANS RESPOND TO IOC POLICY CHANGE TO PROTECT WOMEN’S SPORTS
“We already know that biology, as much as we want it to just be nice and clean and tight and perfect in one category and another, it’s not,” Rapinoe said. “We know. So, now what we’re doing is subjecting everyone, all women and all people who identify as women, to this really invasive test that just says to me like, ‘Oh, we’re just trying to narrow it down to a certain type of woman. Is that what we’re doing? That’s really the whole game here.’
“They kind of lost the fight on gay marriage and lost the fight on all these things, so it’s like, ‘We’re going to have this whole campaign for all these years just to hate trans people,’ which is such a small percentage of the population. It’s actually on a single hand when we’re talking about sports. And like thread the absolute tightest needle that you possibly could.”
Rapinoe added that the IOC only implemented the rule to appease President Donald Trump’s administration.
“This committee is portraying it as based on science, which it is not,” she said. “This is ultimately just going to stop people from competing in the women’s category, that they feel like they have an unfair advantage. It’s just really hateful. There’s been so few athletes who are trans or competing as trans, and it’s so blatant on the face of it. It’s a total acquiescence to the Trump administration and really knocking down so much right-wing percentage of conservative politics that there really is so much conservative politics. just trying to live their lives It’s just terrible and I’m just sorry.”
File – Megan Rapinoe #15 of Team United States lines up prior to the women’s soccer Group G match between the USA and Australia during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kashima Stadium on July 27, 2021 in Kashima, Japan. (Hector Vivas/FIFA)
Conversely, several Olympians supported the IOC’s decision.
Kaillie Humphries, three-time Olympic gold medalist for the United States and Canada, was among them.
“Today is a great day for women’s sport and a great victory in the Olympic world,” she told Pakinomist Digital last month. “By implementing the gender test it will allow for fair competition. It used to happen years ago and by bringing it back it will protect the women’s category. I think it is very appropriate that LA28 will be the Games to protect women’s sports as it is something that our president has advocated for.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
