Athletes with DSD will reportedly be covered under new policy
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will enact a new policy that will prohibit transgender female athletes from competing against biological women, according to multiple reports. The policy is reportedly set to cover those with differences of sex development (DSD).
The IOC's current policy leaves it up to each individual sport's governing body to make policies governing transgender athletes. But as the IOC changed its leadership, The Times of London reported on Monday that its policies are set to change as well.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry called for "protecting" the women's category in June and there was "overwhelming support" from IOC members to do the same.
"We understand that there'll be differences depending on the sport ... but it was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost to ensure fairness," Coventry said at the time.
"But we need to do that with a scientific approach and the inclusion of the international federations who have already done a lot of work in this area."
The upcoming policy switch is likely to be announced at the IOC session in February before the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy and comes after a presentation from Dr. Jane Thornton, the IOC's medical and scientific director, last week, according to The Times.
Thornton's presentation reportedly showed there were physical advantages in males, including those who took treatments to reduce testosterone levels. A source told the paper that the presentation was "very scientific" and unemotional.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will enact a new policy that will prohibit transgender female athletes from competing against biological women, according to multiple reports. The policy is reportedly set to cover those with differences of sex development (DSD).
The IOC's current policy leaves it up to each individual sport's governing body to make policies governing transgender athletes. But as the IOC changed its leadership, The Times of London reported on Monday that its policies are set to change as well.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry called for "protecting" the women's category in June and there was "overwhelming support" from IOC members to do the same.
"We understand that there'll be differences depending on the sport ... but it was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost to ensure fairness," Coventry said at the time.
"But we need to do that with a scientific approach and the inclusion of the international federations who have already done a lot of work in this area."
The upcoming policy switch is likely to be announced at the IOC session in February before the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy and comes after a presentation from Dr. Jane Thornton, the IOC's medical and scientific director, last week, according to The Times.
Thornton's presentation reportedly showed there were physical advantages in males, including those who took treatments to reduce testosterone levels. A source told the paper that the presentation was "very scientific" and unemotional.
