Olympic committee move towards ‘blanket ban' on transgender women in female sports

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is moving towards implementing a blanket ban on transgender women competing in the female category of Olympic sports.

As reported by Sky News, the shift in policy also involves steps to forbid athletes with Differences of Sex Development (DSD) from women’s events, quoting concerns over inherent testosterone-related benefits.

The potential new policies which are set to be implemented for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, mark a dramatic reversal of the IOC’s previous, more inclusive framework, and would represent the most important ruling on the issue in global sport.

The move follows a presentation last week to IOC members by the committee’s medical chief, Dr. Jane Thornton.

The presentation reportedly signified the potential physical advantages for athletes who went through male puberty as this is the central argument of those advocating for the protection of a separate “female category.”

IOC members were also provided the details on the logistics of sex testing, a practice that is already implemented by World Athletics to authenticate the biological sex of competitors.

This shows a practical move towards enforcing such a ban.

The political pressure has fueled to push the ban.

In February, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to end the “War on women’s sports,” particularly referencing the 2028 games.

“In Los Angeles in 2028, my administration will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes,” Trump said.

“We are not going to let it happen,” he added.

Previously, IOC called a return to sex testing a “bad idea,” the election of new President Kirsty Coventry in March has signaled a change in direction.

Coventry has publicly spoken about the need to protect the integrity of the female category.

As of now, an IOC working group continues to assess the situation, and the potential ban has not yet been presented to the full IOC session for a final decision.

But the briefing to members suggests the committee is laying the groundwork for a significant policy shift that would align the Olympics with other sporting bodies such as World Athletics and World Aquatics, which have already implemented similar restrictions.