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Caster Semenya Vows to Fight IOC’s SRY Gene Test for Women’s Events

The IOC now uses a one-time SRY gene screen to set eligibility for the female category at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

South African athlete, Caster Semenya reacts during her press conference about the upcoming case at the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights, in Johannesburg, South Africa, February 9, 2024. REUTERS/Alet Pretorius/File Photo
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Image used for illustration. Picture: iStock
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Overview

  • Caster Semenya, speaking to Reuters on Monday from Pretoria, said she will campaign against the policy, calling it a violation of women’s dignity and rights.
  • The IOC policy, announced Thursday, requires a one-time screen for the SRY gene using saliva, a cheek swab or blood, with a positive result barring entry to the women’s category at IOC events from 2028, and the IOC says it is not retroactive and does not apply to grassroots sport.
  • IOC president Kirsty Coventry defended the change as science-led and said it protects fairness, safety and integrity in elite women’s competition.
  • The rule will bar transgender women and many athletes with differences in sex development from competing in the women’s field at Olympic and other IOC events.
  • Scientists and advocates cited in coverage argue SRY alone is an unreliable marker of sex and warn of testing errors, privacy risks and conflicts with laws in some countries, while President Trump praised the decision after issuing a 2025 U.S. order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports.