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Original poster

Transgender women to be banned from all female Olympic events

383 replies

Misla · 10/11/2025 11:54

About time!!

IOC likely to announce new policy early in new year after findings of a scientific review about the permanent physical advantages of being born male

The International Olympic Committee is set to announce a ban on transgender women in female competition early next year after a science-based review of evidence about permanent physical advantages of being born male.

The IOC’s guidance to Olympic sports has until now been that transgender women can compete with reduced testosterone levels but leaves it up to individual sports to decide. That is now set to change under its new president, Kirsty Coventry, who has promised to protect the female category.

The committee’s medical and scientific director, Dr Jane Thornton, last week presented to IOC members at a meeting in Lausanne the initial findings of a science-based review into the issues of transgender athletes and athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) competing in female sport.

Free-to-read link: https://archive.is/kGpyI

Transgender women to be banned from all female Olympic events

Transgender women to be banned from all female Olympic events

IOC likely to announce new policy early in new year after findings of a scientific review about the permanent physical advantages of being born male

https://www.thetimes.com/sport/olympics/article/olympic-ioc-transgender-athlete-ban-womens-sports-zhlpfll3b

OP posts:
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Beowulfa · 10/11/2025 12:05

Ridiculous that it had to go to "scientific review", but useful to have the evidence there in black and white for the women should just train harder types.

murasaki · 10/11/2025 12:04

GCAcademic · 10/11/2025 12:00

"Science-based review".

You mean someone took the trouble to "consult a biology text book" and "educate" themselves, the way that we're often invited to by TRAs? Who'd have thought this would be the result?

'Educate yourself' never goes well for the TRAs.

HermioneWeasley · 10/11/2025 12:02

Men, men are banned from competing in women’s sports. As they should be

they are still free to compete against the other men if they’re good enough

tinyspiny · 10/11/2025 12:02

Great news

GCAcademic · 10/11/2025 12:00

"Science-based review".

You mean someone took the trouble to "consult a biology text book" and "educate" themselves, the way that we're often invited to by TRAs? Who'd have thought this would be the result?

FeralWoman · 10/11/2025 12:00

That’s good news.

Original poster
Misla · 10/11/2025 11:57

Sources said the presentation by Thornton, a Canadian former Olympic rower, stated that scientific evidence showed there were physical advantages to being born male that remained with athletes, including those who had taken treatment to reduce testosterone levels.

“It was a very scientific, factual and unemotional presentation which quite clearly laid out the evidence,” one source said. Another IOC insider said there had been hugely positive feedback from IOC members about the presentation.
It is understood the IOC is likely to announce its new policy early in the new year, possibly around the IOC session at the Milan-Cortina winter Olympics in early February.

Some work remains to be done to ensure the new policy is legally watertight. Until now the IOC’s policy has been based on recommendations and guidance to sports rather than actually being part of its eligibility rules.

OP posts:
SilenceInside · 10/11/2025 11:55

Bloody ridiculous that they needed a scientific review to figure this out....