IOC to Set Unified Transgender, DSD Policy

Kirsty Coventry, the new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has announced plans to establish a unified policy addressing both transgender and Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) athletes, with a focus on protecting the female category in sports. The initiative follows controversy at the Paris Olympics, where boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting won gold medals despite previous gender-eligibility disputes, sparking widespread criticism over the IOC's lack of clear guidelines. Coventry stated that a working group comprising experts and international federations will develop sport-specific, scientifically supported policies. This marks a shift from the IOC's earlier practice of leaving eligibility decisions to individual sports bodies. Coventry noted that new policies are unlikely to be applied retroactively, and that there is strong support among IOC members for the organization to take a leading role. The IOC may reference existing strict eligibility rules in other sports, such as those implemented by World Athletics.