The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is moving toward introducing a blanket ban on transgender women competing in female sports categories, a policy expected to be announced early next year and likely introduced in 2026.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry advocated for the protection of the female category during her election campaign in March and established a working group to achieve consensus.
While the IOC officially stated that “no decisions have been taken yet,” sources indicate a ban is probable.
This potential shift marks a departure from the IOC’s previous approach of deferring to individual sports federations.
The move aligns with recent decisions by bodies like World Aquatics and World Athletics to bar transgender women who underwent male puberty from elite female competition due to fairness concerns.
The issue has also become political, with the US implementing an executive order banning transgender women from competing in female categories, including at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The new IOC policy is also set to cover athletes with Differences of Sex Development (DSD).
