IOC approves standard limiting women's Olympic events to biological females
KARACHI: The International Olympic Committee on Thursday approved a fresh directive restricting eligibility for the women’s category at the Olympic
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IOC approves standard limiting women's Olympic events to biological females
KARACHI: The International Olympic Committee on Thursday approved a fresh directive restricting eligibility for the women’s category at the Olympic Games to biological females, introducing mandatory SRY gene screening beginning with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The judgment, endorsed by the IOC Executive Board, will apply from the LA28 Games onward and will not be applied retroactively, said the organisation.
Under the directive, eligibility for any female category occurrence at the Olympics or other IOC competitions, including both individual and squad sports, will be determined through a one-time genetic test for the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome and associated with male sex development.
The IOC said athletes who test negative for the SRY gene will be permanently eligible to compete in the women’s category. The screening, which can be conducted via saliva, cheek swab or blood specimen, is intended to be carried out once in an athlete’s lifetime unless there is motive to query the outcome.
Athletes who test positive for the SRY gene will not be eligible for women’s events at IOC competitions, with limited exceptions for those diagnosed with rare conditions such as Finish Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or certain differences in sex development that do not confer performance advantages linked to testosterone.
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