More than 100 human rights, sports and scientific groups, including the UN, have criticised the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) new gender eligibility guidelines as “a blunt and discriminatory response that is not supported by science and violates international human rights law”. Athletes in these categories have been allowed to compete in Olympic events since the IOC scrapped mandatory sex testing in 1999, which was deemed arbitrary, inaccurate, expensive, and discriminatory. “As several UN independent experts have noted, binary definitions of sex reinforce harmful stereotypes and erode progress toward substantive gender equality. Ms Coventry claimed all women athletes will be tested for the SRY gene, which multiple medical experts have stated is unreliable and reductive. Of the tens of thousands of athletes who have participated in Olympic events since 1999, just one has identified as a transgender woman – Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand.

Source: Irish Examiner March 28, 2026 07:00 UTC