A ban on transgender women athletes is widely expected to take effect for the 2028 Olympics, though it’s still uncertain whether competitors with differences in sexual development (DSD) will face restrictions following the controversy surrounding boxing at Paris 2024.
Currently, each sport sets its own criteria, allowing transgender women to compete if their testosterone levels remain below a certain threshold.
However, under new president Kirsty Coventry, the International Olympic Committee is reportedly considering a major policy change — a universal ban across all sports for the Los Angeles Games.
Such a policy would prevent a repeat of cases like Laurel Hubbard’s participation in women’s weightlifting at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Hubbard, who transitioned in 2012, became a focal point in the debate over transgender inclusion in female categories.
Olympic sources have confirmed that a blanket ban is indeed the “direction of travel,” though it’s unlikely to take effect before the Winter Olympics in Italy next February. While one report suggested an announcement could come as early as February, insiders believe the full approval and implementation process could take six months to a year.
The potential policy shift would mark a significant milestone for IOC president Kirsty Coventry, who campaigned on protecting women’s categories during her successful presidential bid earlier this year. It would also help the IOC avoid political tension with U.S. President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order in February barring transgender women from competing in female sports.
The issue has been a major focus within the IOC. Last week in Lausanne, Dr. Jane Thornton, the IOC’s director of medicine, health, and science, presented a scientific review on transgender and DSD (differences in sexual development) topics to IOC members. The IOC later clarified that no final decisions have been made and that the working group continues to review the matter.
A statement to Daily Mail Sport read: “An update was given by the IOC’s director of health, medicine, and science to the IOC Members last week during the IOC commission meetings. The working group is continuing its discussions on this topic and no decisions have been taken yet.”
Dr. Thornton’s presentation reportedly emphasized the scientific and regulatory distinctions between transgender athletes and those with DSD—individuals who possess male chromosomes but were raised female. While a rule change affecting DSD athletes is considered probable over time, sources say it still faces internal resistance.
The DSD issue gained global attention during the Paris 2024 Olympics, when Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting—both previously disqualified from the 2023 World Championships for reportedly failing gender eligibility tests—went on to win boxing gold medals. The IOC executive committee, which included Coventry at the time, drew widespread criticism for allowing them to compete.
