Overview
- IOC president Kirsty Coventry said a decision is expected in the first quarter of 2026 following consultations with stakeholders.
- A 'Protection of the Female Category' working group formed in September is drafting the framework, with potential provisions covering transgender athletes and those with differences of sex development.
- The new centralized approach reverses the IOC’s 2021 stance that left eligibility rules to individual federations.
- Recent federation actions inform the discussion, including puberty-based bans and SRY/Y‑chromosome testing adopted by World Boxing, World Athletics, and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.
- U.S. pressure has intensified with President Donald Trump’s executive order and the USOPC directing compliance, while current IOC guidance still permits transgender participation pending the new policy.