IOC to ban transgender women from all female Olympic events: report

The International Olympic Committee is reportedly set to ban transgender women from competing in all female categories.

The change is set to be officially announced early next year, The Times reported on Monday, citing sources.

The decision to overhaul the current policy was made after the sporting committee carried out a science-based review of a biologically-born male’s physical advantages, the sources added.

The findings were presented by the IOC’s medical and scientific director, Dr Jane Thornton, in a closed-door meeting last week.

“It was a very scientific, factual and unemotional presentation which quite clearly laid out the evidence,” a source told the outlet.

Under the current guidance, trans women have been able to compete in the female category with reduced testosterone levels.

Until now, the decision has ultimately been left up to individual sports.

The new blanket rule comes after the IOC’s new chief, Kirsty Coventry, vowed earlier this year to protect the female sporting category.

“We understand there will be differences depending on the sports. We should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category and we should ensure that this is done in consensus with all the stakeholders,” Coventry, an ex-Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe, 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.”