Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has voiced her commitment to preserving the integrity of women’s sports amid rising concerns regarding transgender athletes competing in these events. In her first official address since assuming the role, Coventry stated that IOC members have shown ‘unanimous support’ for maintaining the female sports category to ensure fairness and equity. The new president underscored the necessity of a scientific approach, emphasizing collaboration with international federations that have already conducted extensive research on this issue. She also suggested that the IOC may look to policies from World Athletics, which restricts biological males from competing in women’s sports if they have experienced male puberty. However, Coventry made it clear that any changes would not affect past competition results. The issue has gained further attention following a recent UN study indicating that nearly 900 biological female athletes have been outcompeted by transgender athletes, leading to a loss of medals and opportunities.
Kirsty Coventry, the new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has addressed the issue of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, emphasizing the need to protect the female category amid growing concerns. In her first official address, she stated that IOC members have expressed ‘unanimous support’ for safeguarding the female sports category to ensure fairness and equity. Coventry highlighted the importance of a scientific approach, collaborating with international federations that have conducted extensive research on this matter.
The new president suggested that the IOC may consider adopting policies similar to those implemented by World Athletics, which impose restrictions on biological males participating in women’s sports if they have undergone male puberty. She emphasized the necessity of ensuring that any changes are grounded in scientific research and tailored to the specific needs of each sport. However, Coventry clarified that any potential revisions to the policies would not retroactively affect the results of past competitions, including the 2024 Paris Olympics, where two boxers won gold medals despite failing gender-eligibility tests for international events.
Coventry’s comments come in the wake of a recent United Nations study that revealed nearly 900 biological female athletes have been outcompeted by transgender athletes, resulting in a loss of medals and opportunities. The report, titled ‘Violence against women and girls in sports,’ indicated that over 600 athletes failed to medal in more than 400 competitions across 29 different sports. According to the study, the replacement of the female sports category with a mixed-sex category has led to an increasing number of female athletes losing out on opportunities, including medals, when competing against males.
Despite the controversy, Coventry called for a collaborative approach to addressing these issues, stating that the IOC should take a leading role in facilitating broad consensus among stakeholders. Her remarks have sparked discussions about the balance between inclusivity and fairness in sports, with critics and supporters presenting various arguments on both sides of the debate.