LAUSANNE, Switzerland — A day after the International Olympic Committee adopted a landmark policy restricting women’s Olympic competition to biological females, IOC President Kirsty Coventry stepped in front of the camera to defend the decision, calling the science behind it clear and unambiguous while promising athletes and federations that more guidance is on the way.
In a video statement released Thursday alongside the policy document, Coventry said the new rules were developed by medical experts and are grounded in a scientific reality that she said leaves little room for debate in the context of elite sport.
“The scientific evidence is very clear,” Coventry said. “Male chromosomes give performance advantages in sports that rely on strength, power, or endurance.”
The policy, adopted by the IOC Executive Board on March 26, limits eligibility for the female category at all IOC events to biological females, determined through screening for the SRY gene. It replaces a 2021 framework that had given individual sports federations broader discretion over transgender athlete eligibility and takes effect at the LA28 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Coventry, a former Olympic swimmer who won multiple medals for Zimbabwe, said her background as a competitor shapes her conviction on the issue. She acknowledged the sensitivity of the topic directly but said the stakes of elite competition demand a clear standard.
“At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” she said. “So it’s 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.”
On the question of how athletes will be treated through the screening process, Coventry was emphatic that dignity must be central to implementation. Under the policy, athletes will be required to undergo SRY gene testing only once in their lifetime, via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample. Coventry said clear education must accompany the process, with counseling and expert medical advice available at every step.
“Every athlete must be treated with dignity and respect,” she said.
Coventry also drew a distinction between the IOC’s commitment to broad participation in sport at the community level and the specific demands of Olympic competition. “The IOC recognizes the importance of widespread participation in grassroots and recreational sports programs and the impact that sport has in society,” she said. “However, the Olympic Games has a focus on elite sport, and in elite sport, we must ensure the fairness, safety, and integrity of all competitions within the Games.”
She said the publication of the policy is only the beginning of a longer process and pledged that the IOC will work with all stakeholders to address questions as they arise. “There will be much more information to come,” she said.
The policy drew on an 18-month review process conducted by the IOC Administration from September 2024 through March 2026, including the work of a scientific working group whose members came from five continents and included specialists in sports science, endocrinology, transgender medicine, women’s health, ethics and law. That group reached consensus that male sex confers a performance advantage in all sports relying on strength, power or endurance, and that testosterone suppression or gender-affirming hormone treatment does not eliminate that advantage.
A survey of more than 1,100 athletes conducted as part of the review found broad consensus among female competitors in favor of eligibility rules based on biological sex.
