“Protecting the female category and female sports is paramount…”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is considering banning transgender athletes from all female events following a science-based review. Kirsty Coventry, IOC president, told Telegraph Sport in January that she favored a blanket ban and later commissioned a review on the permanent physical advantages of being born male.
Dr Jane Thornton, the IOC’s medical and scientific director, updated members last week, noting evidence of advantages that remain even after testosterone reduction. The current IOC policy allows individual sports to set their own rules, resulting in bans in athletics and swimming, while sports like football permit transgender competitors under certain conditions.
Coventry, a seven-time Olympic medalist, said: “Protecting the female category and female sports is paramount… transgender women are more able in the female category, and can take away opportunities that should be equal for women.”
The IOC is expected to update its gender policy next year, mindful of potential legal ramifications. A spokesperson confirmed: “No decisions have been taken yet.”