Overview
- Megan Rapinoe called the new policy "horrible" and "hateful" and said it is not based in science, while Sue Bird labeled it "fearmongering" and argued the issue is being exaggerated for politics.
- The IOC’s rule limits entry to the women’s category to athletes who test negative for the SRY gene on a one-time screen done by saliva, cheek swab, or blood, with a narrow exception for Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome.
- Backers praised the change as a fairness measure, with Olympic bobsled champion Kaillie Humphries calling it a win for women’s sports, and World Athletics pointing to data that 50 to 60 athletes with male biological advantages reached women’s finals since 2000.
- Civil society groups and scientists challenged the approach, with a coalition urging the IOC to drop the plan and geneticist Andrew Sinclair warning that using SRY as a gatekeeper would wrongly exclude some women.
- The debate follows eligibility disputes at Paris 2024 involving boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, and critics of the new rule say mandatory gene checks are invasive and risk policing women’s bodies.