A ban on transgender women competitors is strongly expected to be introduced for the 2028 Olympics — but uncertainty remains over whether athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) will also face restrictions, following the boxing controversy at Paris 2024.
Currently, each sport decides whether transgender women can compete based on testosterone level thresholds.
However, under new president Kirsty Coventry, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is reportedly considering a major policy change — a blanket ban across all sports for the Los Angeles Games.
Such a rule would prevent situations like that of Laurel Hubbard, the New Zealand weightlifter who competed at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after transitioning in 2012.
Olympic insiders have confirmed that this measure is the “direction of travel,” though it is unlikely to take effect before the Winter Olympics in Italy next February.
While some reports suggest a rule change could be announced in February, sources estimate it could take between six months and a year for full approval.
The move would mark a major milestone for Coventry, who emphasized the need to “protect the female category” during her campaign for IOC presidency.
It could also help the IOC avoid clashes with Donald Trump, who earlier this year signed an executive order banning transgender women from competing in female sports in the U.S.
Amid growing attention on the issue, Dr. Jane Thornton, the IOC’s director of medical, health, and science, gave a presentation in Lausanne last week reviewing scientific findings on transgender and DSD participation.
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In a statement to Daily Mail Sport, the IOC said:
“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.”
The presentation also clarified the distinction between transgender athletes and those with DSD, referring to athletes who have male chromosomes but were raised as female.
The future of DSD athletes remains uncertain, as internal opposition reportedly exists to imposing new restrictions.
The controversy over DSD athletes intensified at Paris 2024, when Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting won boxing gold medals after previously being disqualified from the 2023 World Championships for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests.
The IOC executive committee, including Coventry, faced severe criticism for allowing both athletes to compete.
Sources indicate that while changes for transgender athletes seem imminent, any new DSD regulations may take longer to resolve.
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