This Thursday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) definitively announced, leaving no room for interpretation, that starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, participation in any women's category will be restricted exclusively to biological females.
Eligibility will be determined through a mandatory genetic test that detects the presence of the SRY gene. This test, which is performed only once in each athlete's career, consists of a simple cheek or blood sample and identifies the presence of the gene associated with male sexual development.
Kirsty Coventry, IOC President, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming and the first woman to lead the organization in its 132-year history, justified the measure: “The scientific evidence is conclusive. Male chromosomes provide performance advantages in disciplines that require strength, power, or endurance. In the Olympic Games, even the smallest differences can be the difference between winning and losing.”
According to the IOC document, men's performance advantage over women is between 10% and 12% in running and swimming, at least 20% in throwing and jumping events, and can exceed 100% in power sports like boxing.
The new policy is not retroactive and does not apply to recreational sports competitions. It also includes exceptions for athletes diagnosed with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS).
However, several human rights organizations have expressed concern about the potential impact of mandatory genetic testing on all female athletes.
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