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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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Tanya Aldred

The IOC’s decision to protect the female category is a victory for fairness

The IOC president Kirsty Coventry seen on a computer screen as she speaks at a press briefing to announce the ban on transgender athletes in women's Olympic events, London, 26 March 2026.
The IOC president Kirsty Coventry speaking at a press briefing to announce the ban on transgender athletes in women's Olympic events, London, 26 March 2026. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

The decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to exclude transgender women and most athletes with differences of sex development (DSD) from women’s Olympic sport has won praise from most major sports bodies but criticism from some activist groups.

It also closes the door on a period where often well-intentioned inclusivity came at the expense of sportswomen, and those who pointed out that the rules were not fair.

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