The International Olympic Committee is preparing to introduce a blanket ban on transgender women competing in female events at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, marking a major shift in global sports policy.
Under current Olympic rules, individual sporting federations decide whether transgender athletes can compete, typically based on testosterone thresholds. However, IOC president Kirsty Coventry is said to be pushing for a uniform ban across all disciplines, arguing that the move would “protect the female category.”
Olympic insiders confirmed that the measure is the “direction of travel,” though it is not expected to take effect before the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. The proposal is reportedly still under review and could take up to a year to finalise once announced.
The new approach would prevent a repeat of past controversies such as the participation of New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Hubbard, who transitioned in 2012, was the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Games.
Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion, campaigned on a platform of safeguarding women’s sport during her successful bid for the IOC presidency earlier this year. A ban would also align with recent political developments in the United States, where President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February preventing transgender women from competing in female sports.
The IOC’s medical and science director, Dr Jane Thornton, recently presented an internal review of transgender and differences of sexual development (DSD) cases to members in Lausanne. The committee later issued a statement saying “no decisions have been taken yet.”
While the transgender policy is moving toward restriction, the future of DSD athletes remains uncertain. The issue triggered widespread controversy at the 2024 Paris Olympics when Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, both previously disqualified from world championships, won gold medals.
Further debate is expected when the IOC executive board reconvenes in December.
