Female Category Limited to Biological Women as IOC Brings Back SRY Gene Testing

The International Olympic Committee said on Thursday that it would reintroduce genetic gender testing to determine eligibility for female events, with the policy set to begin at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

According to a release, eligibility for any female category across all disciplines on the sports programme of an IOC event, including both individual and team sports, will be limited to biological females.

The committee said the decision was “evidence-based and expert-informed,” and “protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category.”

Under the policy, eligibility for the women's category will initially be determined through SRY gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY gene.

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.

How will the IOC’s SRY gene testing policy affect athlete eligibility across categories?

The committee stated that “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 the policy “is based on science and has been led by medical experts.”

The IOC added that SRY gene screening conducted through saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods.

Athletes who test negative for the SRY gene will permanently satisfy the eligibility criteria for the female category, with the test expected to be conducted once in a lifetime unless there is reason to believe the result is in error.

With the rare exception of athletes diagnosed with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome or other differences or disorders in sex development who do not benefit from the anabolic or performance-enhancing effects of testosterone, no athlete with an SRY-positive screen will be eligible for competition in the female category at an IOC event.

The IOC administration was tasked with drafting the policy on the protection of the female category in an Olympic context, reflecting the findings of the Working Group on the Protection of the Female Category, consultations within the IOC, and consideration of recent developments, including international human rights law.

(With inputs from ANI)