BREAKING: Olympics BANS men from women's sports ahead of LA summer games

The International Olympic Committee announced on Thursday that biological males will be banned from women ’s sporting events going forward. The decision will apply to the upcoming 2028 summer olympics in Los Angeles.

A press release from the IOC stated, "Eligibility for the female category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY gene. Based on scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the presence of the SRY gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male sex development."

The IOC said that the testing, done through a cheek swab or blood testing, is a "once-in-a-lifetime test," with athletes who pass not needing to be retested unless there is a reason to believe the negative reading was an error. The IOC said the policy should be adopted by International Federations and other sports governing bodies in relation to IOC events. 

"With the rare exception of athletes with a diagnosis of Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other rare differences/disorders in sex development (DSDs) who do not benefit from the anabolic and/or performance-enhancing effects of testosterone, no athlete with an SRY-positive screen is eligible for competition in the female category at an IOC event." 

"Athletes with an SRY-positive screen, including XY transgender and androgen-sensitive XY-DSD athletes, continue to be included in all other classifications for which they qualify. For example, they are eligible for any male category, including in a designated male slot within any mixed category, and any open category, or in sports and events that do not classify athletes by sex."
 

IOC President Kirsty Coventry said in a statement, "As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition. The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts. At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe. Every athlete must be treated with dignity and respect, and athletes will need to be screened only once in their lifetime. There must be clear education around the process and counselling available, alongside expert medical advice."

The IOC said that the policy came from the findings of the Working Group on the Protection of the Female Category, which reached the "clear consensus" that "Male sex provides a performance advantage in all sports and events that rely on strength, power and endurance. To ensure fairness, and to protect safety, particularly in contact sports, eligibility should therefore be based on biological sex. The group also agreed that the most accurate and least intrusive method currently available to verify biological sex is screening for the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development in utero and indicates the presence of testes/testicles."

In February 2025, the Trump administration informed consulates around the world to deny visa applications from trans-identified male athletes looking to come to the US for sport competitions.