OLYMPICS: IOC's gender policy divides opinion as supporters and critics clash

LONDON – Reactions to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) new gender testing policy were sharply divided Thursday. Supporters hailed it as a long-overdue move to protect women’s sports, while critics warned it could stigmatize and harm young athletes.

Supporters said the policy is essential for maintaining a protected female category and providing clarity for sports organizations worldwide.

Fiona McAnena, Director of Campaigns for UK-based advocacy group Sex Matters, called the ruling “extremely welcome.”

“Women’s sport can only be for those who are female,” McAnena told Reuters. “The IOC sets the standard for sport worldwide. It’s very welcome that the IOC has recognized that the only way to have fair competition for women and girls is to have a protected female category.”

She added that it was important for the IOC to lead, rather than leaving individual sports to navigate the issue alone.

“Their influence is enormous,” McAnena said. “Many sports used the IOC’s previous policies to justify not protecting the female category. That’s why I’m really pleased the IOC has called this policy ‘protecting the female category.’”

McAnena also rejected the notion that broader inclusion automatically increases participation.

“We know that women and girls drop out of sport when they are forced to compete with boys or when changing rooms and playing fields are not single-sex as expected,” she said.

However, McAnena noted shortcomings in the policy, including its decision not to backdate the rules, which she said failed to address past injustices.

“We know three women were deprived of medals at the Rio Olympics in the 800 meters by male athletes with disorders of sex development,” she said. “It seems a shame that cannot be corrected for those athletes.”

At the 2016 Games, Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba, and Margaret Wambui won medals in the women’s 800 meters, all classified as having differences of sexual development (DSD). Since 2019, all three have been ineligible to compete in the women’s 800 meters under tightened World Athletics rules requiring athletes with DSD to medically reduce naturally high testosterone levels. Semenya refused, Wambui has not competed, and Niyonsaba switched to longer distances.

McAnena also criticized an exception in the policy for athletes with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS), saying it still allowed some male advantage.

Opponents, however, argued the ruling is not based on solid science and could harm athletes, particularly minors.

Dr. Payoshni Mitra, founder of advocacy group Humans of Sport, described it as “a safeguarding disaster” and said it seemed politically motivated.

“It’s not science-based; it’s stigma-based,” Mitra said. “It seems more driven by political pressure than what is required in women’s sport.”

Mitra expressed concern over including minor athletes, noting that about 14 minors competed in the Paris Olympics, including 11-year-old Chinese skateboarder Zheng Haohao.

She also questioned the timing, suggesting political considerations around the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics influenced the decision.

“The IOC could have focused on robust, independent research,” Mitra said. “Instead, they rushed this decision. This is about where the next Summer Olympics will be hosted.”

Semenya and eight other African women athletes wrote to IOC President Kirsty Coventry, rejecting the policy. Semenya said consultation meant nothing if the IOC had already made decisions without listening to the experiences of affected athletes.

World Athletics has previously banned transgender women who went through male puberty from competing and tightened DSD rules, lowering testosterone thresholds and requiring sustained medical suppression.

“We have led the way in protecting women’s sport over the last decade,” a World Athletics spokesperson said Thursday. “Attracting and retaining more girls and women in sport requires a fair playing field. Gender cannot trump biology, and a consistent approach across all sports is essential.” -Reporting by Lori Ewing, Iain Axion; writing by Lori Ewing; editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters