IOC Announces New Policy on the Protection of Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport

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IOC

-- IOC press release

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a new Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport and Guiding Considerations for International Federations and Sports Governing Bodies.

The policy explains that, for all disciplines on the sports programme of an IOC event, including the Olympic Games and for both individual and team sports, eligibility for any female category is limited to biological females.

The IOC believes that it "protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category."

SRY Gene

Following the approval of the policy by the IOC Executive Board in 26 March 2026, it will apply for the LA28 Olympic Games onwards, and is not retroactive.

Eligibility for the female category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY gene.

Based on scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the presence of the SRY gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male sex development. Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods.

Once in a Lifetime Test

Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the female category. Unless there is reason to believe that a negative reading is in error, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime test.

With the rare exception of athletes with a diagnosis of Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other rare differences/disorders in sex development (DSDs) who do not benefit from the anabolic and/or performance-enhancing effects of testosterone, no athlete with an SRY-positive screen is eligible for competition in the female category at an IOC event.

Read the full press release here.