The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved a new policy restricting eligibility for women’s events at the Olympic Games to biological females, with implementation set to begin at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The decision, endorsed by the IOC Executive Board on Thursday, will not be applied retroactively and will take effect from the LA28 Games onward.
Under the new rules, eligibility for all women’s category events, including both individual and team sports, will be determined through a one-time genetic test for the SRY gene. This gene, typically found on the Y chromosome, is associated with male sex development.
According to the IOC, athletes who test negative for the SRY gene will be permanently eligible to compete in the women’s category. The screening can be conducted using saliva, cheek swabs, or blood samples and is intended to be carried out once in an athlete’s lifetime unless there is a reason to question the result.
Athletes who test positive for the SRY gene will not be eligible to compete in women’s events at IOC competitions. However, limited exceptions will apply to athletes diagnosed with rare conditions such as Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or certain differences in sex development that do not provide performance advantages linked to testosterone.
Those athletes will remain eligible to compete in other categories, including men’s events, mixed competitions in designated male slots, or open categories where available.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said the policy is based on scientific evidence and is designed to ensure fairness and safety in elite competition.
“As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition,” Coventry said. “It would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category, and in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
She added that athletes will be treated with dignity and respect, with access to education, counseling, and medical support throughout the process.
The IOC said the policy follows a review conducted between September 2024 and March 2026. The process included consultations with medical, legal, and ethical experts, as well as feedback from more than 1,100 athletes worldwide.
The organization also emphasized that the new rules apply only to elite-level competition under its jurisdiction and do not extend to grassroots or recreational sports programs.