Latest news with #IOC
National Post
10 hours ago
- Politics
- National Post
‘ENSURE FAIRNESS': Olympics chief announces ‘scientific approach' to ‘protect female category'
The new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) addressed the subject of transgender athletes competing in women's sports, and revealed there is 'overwhelming support' by IOC members to 'protect the female category.' Article content Kirsty Coventry, who was in Lausanne, Switzerland, chairing her first meetings this week since becoming chief, said that a taskforce of scientists and international federations would be created in the coming weeks to come up with a new policy. Article content Article content Article content 'We understand that there'll be differences depending on the sport,' she said, according to Fox News. Article content 'But it was fully agreed that as members that, as the IOC, we should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category.' Article content Coventry continued: 'It was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost. We have to do that to ensure fairness. And we have to do it with a scientific approach. And with the inclusion of the international federations who have done a lot of work in that area.' Article content The new policy is expected to ban trans athletes from competing in the female category. Article content Article content But Coventry, who won seven Olympic medal when she competed for Zimbabwe, noted that the shift in policy would not affect previous Olympics results. Article content 'We are not going to be doing anything retrospectively. We are going to be looking forward,' Coventry said. Article content The update comes after the controversial boxing tournament at the 2024 Paris Games after two athletes — Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting — won gold medals despite having been disqualified from the previous year's World Championships for allegedly failing to meet gender eligibility criteria. Article content Article content World Boxing, which is now recognized by the IOC as the sport's international federation, has since introduced mandatory sex testing and said Khelif would not be able to compete in the female category until she undergoes the test. Article content Khelif has always maintained she was born a woman, competes as a woman, and is a woman. Article content 'It was very clear from the membership the discussion around this has to be done with medical and scientific research at the core, so we are looking at the facts and the nuances and the inclusion of the international federations that have done so much of this work,' Coventry said. Article content
Toronto Sun
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
‘ENSURE FAIRNESS': Olympics chief announces ‘scientific approach' to ‘protect female category'
International Olympic Committee (IOC) new president Kirsty Coventry delivers her speech during the handover ceremony at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, on June 23, 2025. Photo by Fabrice Coffrini/AFP / Getty Images The new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) addressed the subject of transgender athletes competing in women's sports, and revealed there is 'overwhelming support' by IOC members to 'protect the female category.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Kirsty Coventry, who was in Lausanne, Switzerland, chairing her first meetings this week since becoming chief, said that a taskforce of scientists and international federations would be created in the coming weeks to come up with a new policy. 'We understand that there'll be differences depending on the sport,' she said, according to Fox News . 'But it was fully agreed that as members that, as the IOC, we should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category.' Coventry continued: 'It was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost. We have to do that to ensure fairness. And we have to do it with a scientific approach. And with the inclusion of the international federations who have done a lot of work in that area.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The new policy is expected to ban trans athletes from competing in the female category. RECOMMENDED VIDEO But Coventry, who won seven Olympic medal when she competed for Zimbabwe, noted that the shift in policy would not affect previous Olympics results. 'We are not going to be doing anything retrospectively. We are going to be looking forward,' Coventry said. The update comes after the controversial boxing tournament at the 2024 Paris Games after two athletes — Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting — won gold medals despite having been disqualified from the previous year's World Championships for allegedly failing to meet gender eligibility criteria. Algeria's Imane Khalif (left) fights against Tunisia's Homrani Ep Zayani Mariem (Blue) during the women's Fly finals at the Dakar arena in 2020. (Getty Images) Photo by Getty Images / Getty Images World Boxing, which is now recognized by the IOC as the sport's international federation, has since introduced mandatory sex testing and said Khelif would not be able to compete in the female category until she undergoes the test. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Khelif has always maintained she was born a woman, competes as a woman, and is a woman. Read More 'It was very clear from the membership the discussion around this has to be done with medical and scientific research at the core, so we are looking at the facts and the nuances and the inclusion of the international federations that have done so much of this work,' Coventry said. 'But it was pretty much unanimously felt that the IOC should take a leading role in bringing everyone together to try and find a broad consensus.' Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Raptors Toronto Raptors Music News
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
IOC's Kirsty Coventry announces ‘scientific approach' to protect ‘female category'
Kirsty Coventry has said there is now 'overwhelming support' among International Olympic Committee members to protect the female category in a significant shift in its gender eligibility policy. Coventry, who was chairing her first meetings as the IOC's new president, said that a taskforce of scientists and international federations would be set up within weeks to come up with a new policy. It follows the controversy around the Paris 2024 boxing tournament after two athletes – Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting – won gold medals despite having been disqualified from the previous year's World Championships for allegedly failing to meet gender eligibility criteria. World Boxing, which has since been recognised by the IOC as the sport's international federation, has introduced mandatory sex testing and said Khelif would not be able to compete in the female category until she undergoes the test. Khelif has always insisted she was born a woman, has lived as a woman and has competed as a woman. The IOC faced criticism for its handling of the row in Paris and for a perceived failure to lead on this issue more widely. Coventry indicated that the IOC would not revisit the allocation of medals from Paris and said the organisation wanted to 'look forward' and not back. Announcing the shift in policy, Coventry said: 'There was overwhelming support that we should protect the female category. And with that, we will set up a working group made up of experts and international federations. 'It was agreed by the members that the IOC should take a leading role in this,' she added. 'And that we should be the ones to bring together the experts and the international federations and ensure that we find consensus. 'We understand that there will be differences depending on the sports. But it was fully agreed that as members that, as the IOC, we should make the effort to place emphasis on protection of the female category.' Coventry's remarks followed two days of 'Pause and Reflect' workshops in Lausanne, where the new IOC president spoke to members about their concerns and how to push the organisation forward. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'It was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost,' she said. 'We have to do that to ensure fairness. And we have to do it with a scientific approach. And with the inclusion of the international federations who have done a lot of work in that area.' The new policy is expected to ban transgender and athletes with a difference of sex development from competing in the female category. However Coventry was clear there would be no changes to results of previous Olympics. 'We are not going to be doing anything retrospectively,' she said. 'We are going to be looking forward. From the members that were here, it was 'what are we learning from the past and how are we going to leverage that and move that forward to the future'.'
Korea Herald
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Olympic bobsleigh medalist Won Yun-jong among 11 candidates for IOC Athletes' Commission election
South Korean Olympic bobsleigh medalist Won Yun-jong will be among 11 candidates running for the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission election next year. The IOC on Friday unveiled the final list of candidates for the election, which will take place during the Feb. 6-22 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Approved Thursday by the IOC Executive Board, the list features eight men and three women from five different sports and 11 countries. Won, who piloted South Korea to the silver medal in the men's four-man bobsleigh at the 2018 Winter Olympics, was chosen as the South Korean candidate for the election, ahead of figure skater Cha Jun-hwan, in February. The Korean Sport Zhanbota Aldabergenova of Kazkhstan (freestyle skiing); Dario Cologna of Switzerland (cross-country skiing); Yohan Goncalves Goutt of Timor-Leste (alpine skiing); Han Cong of China (figure skating); Ilkka Herola of Finland (Nordic combined); Adam Konya of Hungary (cross-country skiing); Magnus Nedregotten of Norway (curling); Johanna Taliharm of Estonia (biathlon); and Marielle Thompson of Canada (freestyle skiing). According to the IOC, the mission of the Athletes' Commission is to represent fellow athletes and support their development in their sporting and non-sporting careers. Athletes' Commission members serve an eight-year term, but otherwise have the same responsibilities and rights as other IOC members. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively in English or French, the two official working languages of the IOC. The Athletes' Commission can have a maximum 23 members, with up to 12 voted by peers and a maximum 11 appointed by the IOC president. (Yonhap)
USA Today
17 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Add Olympics to list of places transgender people not welcome
The days of transgender athletes being able to compete at the Olympics are numbered. The International Olympic Committee will no doubt dispute that, arguing that new president Kirsty Coventry's announcement Thursday was only for a working group to examine how to 'protect the female category.' But from her loaded language to the dearth of transgender athletes at the Games, it's obvious this is intended as a means to exclude, not include. 'A lot of members shared with us their own experiences from their own countries that had nothing to do with Paris or any other specific sporting event. Just their cultural experiences they were sharing with us and culturally what was expected from us as an Olympic movement,' Coventry said. 'That made it very clear that we had to do something, and this was what everyone agreed was the way forward.' Make no mistake: That 'way forward' will take the IOC backward. And do so in contradiction of its own research and at great harm to an already vulnerable community. For the better part of 20 years, beginning with the 2004 Athens Olympics, transgender athletes were allowed to compete with minimal, if any, fuss. During that time, in fact, there was only one — one! — openly transgender woman who competed, weightlifter Laurel Hubbard in Tokyo. (Two nonbinary athletes have also competed.) But transgender women athletes have become an obsession for some folks with deep pockets and big platforms, and their disinformation campaign has now poisoned the discourse for the larger public. Most of us don't know anyone who is transgender, let alone a transgender athlete. Which ought to tell you how big a 'threat' they are. But J.K. Rowling, Riley Gaines and the U.S. Republican Party have managed to convince even people who should know better that transgender women have both a competitive advantage and are a marauding horde about to overwhelm women's sports. The anecdotal evidence shows that to be patently false. There are 'less than 10' transgender men and women out of the half-million athletes competing in the NCAA, according to president Charlie Baker, and probably another 100 or so at the youth level. Hubbard, the lone transgender woman to compete openly at a Games, got knocked out in the opening round of the weightlifting competition in 2021. Even Lia Thomas, whose one NCAA title has been made into a sign of the apocalypse, lags well behind when compared with Olympic-level swimmers like Katie Ledecky and Kate Douglass. Know what else shows this hysteria over transgender athletes to be overblown? A study the IOC funded! Transgender women might actually be at a disadvantage compared to cisgender women, researchers found, with lower lung function and cardiovascular fitness. 'While longitudinal transitioning studies of transgender athletes are urgently needed, these results should caution against precautionary bans and sport eligibility exclusions that are not based on sport-specific (or sport-relevant) research,' the researchers wrote. But ignorance, fear and hate are powerful motivators, so here we are. 'It was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost,' Coventry said. 'We have to do that to ensure fairness, but we need to do that with a scientific approach. And with the inclusion of the international (sport) federations. 'We need to bring in the experts, that will take in a little bit of time. We need to bring in the (sport federations) so we have full buy-in to try and come up with cohesion on this specific topic.' Coventry is naïve if she thinks there will ever be cohesion on this. The people howling for 'fairness' will accept nothing less than the complete exclusion of transgender women, from sports and in society. That is awful enough. But if you think this won't harm all women, you must have missed the debacle in boxing at the Paris Olympics. For those who missed it in biology class, gender is not black and white. There are women with three X chromosomes. There are women missing one of the X chromosomes. There are women who have XY chromosomes but female reproductive systems. There are women who have naturally higher levels of testosterone and androgen. There also are women who have external female genitalia and internal male reproductive organs — some of whom might not even know it! Then there are the disingenuous folks who already have and will continue to use a white, heteronormative notion of what a woman is to remove anyone who falls outside it. A female athlete who is masculine presenting and has short hair? She'd better be ready to prove her womanhood. It's demeaning, it's humiliating and it's wholly unnecessary. Even track and field's solution of using cheek swabs to weed out those who aren't woman enough to meet their criteria is a form of discrimination, a requirement male athletes aren't subjected to. This transgender paranoia is just that, paranoia. Might a transgender athlete wind up on a podium some day? Sure. Just as will a woman whose parents are millionaires and could afford to give her the best in private coaching, strength training and nutrition from the time she could walk. Or a woman who has an inordinately long wingspan and superior lung capacity. But we don't tar and feather those women. We celebrate them. The beauty of sports, the whole purpose of the Olympics, is for athletes to test themselves, mentally and physically. To strive for the best versions of themselves while also learning valuable life lessons about commitment, resilience and cooperation. Yet the IOC appears ready to join the chorus of those who want to make those opportunities off-limits to transgender people, simply because of who they are. 'It was very clear from the membership that the discussion around this has to be done with scientific approaches and scientific and medical research at the core so that we are looking at the facts and the nuances,' Coventry said. The facts and the nuances are that the IOC already had protocols for transgender participation and they worked just fine for two decades. But that was never going to be good enough for the braying mob, and Coventry and the IOC appear to have decided that sacrificing transgender athletes is a small price to pay for making that headache go away. Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
