Overview
- Multiple outlets report that a medical review presented by IOC medical chief Dr Jane Thornton found male-born physical advantages can persist despite testosterone suppression, drawing strong support from members.
- The proposed shift would replace sport-by-sport guidance with a single eligibility rule and is expected to also encompass athletes with differences of sex development, with sex-verification processes discussed.
- Reports suggest an announcement could come early next year, potentially around the Milan-Cortina IOC session in February, with implementation in time for the Los Angeles 2028 Games under consideration.
- The IOC says its working group is still deliberating and that legal vetting continues, even as sources brief that a ban is likely.
- Context includes Paris 2024 boxing controversies involving Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting and World Boxing’s new mandatory sex testing, along with political pressure highlighted by President Trump’s order targeting participation and visas for LA 2028.