Overview
- The IOC Executive Board, which approved the policy Thursday, set the new rule to take effect for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
- Eligibility will be verified by a single genetic screen for the SRY gene, a Y‑chromosome marker that initiates male sexual development, using saliva, a cheek swab, or blood.
- Athletes who test positive for SRY, including trans women and many XY DSD athletes, cannot enter the female category, with rare medical exceptions such as complete androgen insensitivity, and they remain eligible for male, open, or mixed events.
- The policy applies only to IOC-run competitions, is not retroactive, does not cover grassroots sport, and will be implemented by international federations and national bodies.
- Coverage highlighted a break from 2021 guidance and a return to sex verification debates, with AP linking the move to President Donald Trump’s 2025 order and others citing boxing controversies and the lack of trans women at Paris 2024.