The International Olympic Committee is moving toward a significant policy change that would likely prevent transgender women from competing in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, according to a recent report.
Potential Ban Across All Sports
Under the proposed shift, the IOC would impose a blanket ban across all sports for transgender women athletes at the Los Angeles Olympics. This represents a dramatic departure from the current framework, which allows individual sports federations to set their own eligibility criteria, typically based on testosterone levels falling below specific thresholds.
The report from Daily Mail Sports, published on November 10, 2025, indicates that while this measure is very much the direction the IOC is heading, it's highly unlikely to be implemented before the next Winter Olympics in Italy.
New Leadership Driving Change
The potential policy revision comes under the leadership of new IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who campaigned on protecting the female category in sports. Her election appears to be accelerating discussions around transgender participation.
Adding to the international context, American President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February aimed at preventing transgender women from competing in female sports in the United States.
Last week, Jane Thornton, the IOC's medical, health, and science director, met with other officials in Lausanne where transgender and Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) issues were discussed. The IOC confirmed to Daily Mail Sport that "an update was given by the IOC's director of health, medicine and science to the IOC members last week during the IOC commission meetings" and that "the working group is continuing its discussions on this topic and no decisions have been taken yet."
Distinction Between Transgender and DSD Athletes
The report highlighted that the IOC's presentation made a clear distinction between transgender athletes and those with Differences of Sexual Development. DSD athletes are individuals who have male chromosomes but were raised as female.
It remains uncertain whether athletes with DSD conditions will also face restrictions at the Los Angeles Games. The upcoming decision could significantly impact the landscape of international sports competition and follows controversial moments during the Paris 2024 Olympics, such as the participation of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif.
As the debate continues, the international sports community awaits a final decision that will shape the future of Olympic competition and define eligibility standards for years to come.
