"The IOC, under its 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."
"We will find ways to find a consensus that has all aspects covered, Coventry told a press conference on Wednesday following an IOC executive board meeting. Maybe it is not the easiest thing to do, but we will try our best, so when we talk about the female category, we are protecting the female category. Coventry said a decision would come in the first months of 2026."
"I don't want to try to constrain the working group by saying they need to have a specific deadline, but I am hopeful in the next couple of months and definitely within the first quarter of next year we will have a clear decision and way forward, which I think we are all looking forward to, said Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion."
The IOC currently has no universal rule for transgender athlete participation at the Olympic Games. The IOC will announce eligibility criteria early next year after months of deliberation aimed at protecting the female category. Under President Kirsty Coventry the IOC reversed course in June to lead on eligibility criteria rather than leaving rules to individual sports federations. Coventry established the Protection of the Female Category working group in September, composed of experts and federation representatives. Coventry said the group is working well and aims to reach consensus, with a decision expected in the first months of 2026 after stakeholder consultations.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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