The International Olympic Committee has announced the return of genetic gender testing to determine eligibility for female events, starting from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In a statement released on Thursday, the IOC said, “Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one-time SRY gene screening.”
According to the committee, the SRY screening will be conducted using a saliva sample, cheek swab, or blood test, and in most cases will serve as a “once-in-a-lifetime test”.
The decision comes under the leadership of new IOC president Kirsty Coventry, following controversy that surrounded the women’s boxing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The dispute involved Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, who were both barred from the 2023 world championships by the International Boxing Association after failing eligibility tests.
Despite this, the IOC permitted both athletes to compete in Paris, stating they had been subjected to “a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA”.
Khelif and Lin ultimately went on to claim gold medals at the Games.
Lin has since been cleared to compete in female events organised by World Boxing, the body set to govern boxing at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Gender testing at the Olympics was last carried out during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
