Coventry: IOC decision on gender eligibility to come in 2026

The International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday it would announce eligibility criteria for transgender athletes early next year, after months of deliberation as it seeks to find a consensus on how to protect the female category.

- 

IOC president Kirsty Coventry speaks during the executive commission meeting in Lausanne.

(AFP)

The issue has been a source of controversy with no universal rule in place for the participation of transgender athletes at the Olympic Games.

The IOC, under new president Kirsty Coventry, did a U-turn in June, deciding to take the lead in setting eligibility criteria for Olympic participation, having previously handed responsibility to the individual sports federations, leading to a confusing patchwork of different approaches.

In September, Coventry set up the 'Protection of the Female Category' working group, made up of experts as well as representatives of international federations, to look into how best to protect the female category in sports.