Kirsty Coventry is the President of the International Olympics Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has moved a step closer to banning transgender athletes from all female sports in its competitions.
The IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, has taken steps to set up a task force to make the policy a reality, with the group reportedly making major progress.
Before assuming office, Kirsty vowed to address the issue of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, as she believes it gives them an undue advantage over their competitors.
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Speaking to The Athletic in March 2025, Kirsty said: “For some sports, like equestrian, men and women compete against each other, so it’s not high on their topics of conversation. But, in terms of where we go from here, the IOC needs to take a leading role. I don’t think we need to redo all the work that’s been done.
“We can learn from the international federations and set up a task force that will look at this constantly and consistently. The overarching principle must be to protect the female category.”
As first reported by The Times, she disclosed that initial findings of the science-based review suggested that athletes born male retain physiological advantages even after reducing testosterone levels, fueling expectations of a new policy.
Reports indicate that the policy is highly unlikely to be fully implemented in 2025 but is very likely to be introduced in 2026.
It may not be ratified in time to take full effect for February’s Winter Olympics in Italy but could be enforced before the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
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Meanwhile, watch the feature about Swedru All Blacks’ journey from the Division One to the GPL below
