The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is preparing to ban biological males identifying as women from women’s Olympic events starting in 2026, according to BBC Sport sources. IOC medical director Dr. Jane Thornton cited irreversible male puberty advantages in strength and speed that hormone therapy cannot erase.
The policy would replace the current system, where individual sports federations set their own transgender rules under IOC guidelines. Scientific studies show even a year of hormone suppression leaves men with significant athletic edges.The move follows President Trump’s February 2025 executive order barring transgender women from U.S. women’s sports and Olympics.
The U.S. Olympic Committee complied in July, citing fairness.IOC President Kirsty Coventry has pushed to “protect the female category,” forming a task force to review evidence. The IOC confirmed an internal update but said no final decision has been made.The ban, if approved, would standardize protections across all Olympic sports and end years of controversy over male inclusion in women’s competition.
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