Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP via Getty Images
By Alexis Lapp | Daily Caller
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) barred transgender athletes from competing in women’s events Thursday and mandated genetic testing to ensure the safety and fairness of women’s categories.
The committee will screen for the SRY gene to determine eligibility in the female category, according to an IOC press release. Athletes who test positive for the gene will still be allowed to compete in the male category. The screening is a one time test.
IOC President Kristy Coventry issued a statement in the press release.
“As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition,” she said. “The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts. At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
“Every athlete must be treated with dignity and respect, and athletes will need to be screened only once in their lifetime,” she said. “There must be clear education around the process and counseling available, alongside expert medical advice.”
The Independent Council On Women’s Sports (ICONS) has advocated to ban biological men from women’s sports.
ICONS and Reduxx broke the story on the 2024 Paris Olympic boxing scandal, revealing that two biological males competed in the women’s category, OutKick reported.
Penn University’s transgender swimmer Lia Thomas prepares to swim the 500 yard freestyle race. (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)
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