Latest news with #ImaneKhelif
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'.'
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
IOC chief reveals plans for transgender policy change and pledges to 'protect the female category' - as Imane Khelif controversy rumbles on
The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suggested a new transgender policy will be implemented to 'protect the female category'. Kirsty Coventry revealed that a working group was being set up to determine a new policy amid raging controversy over transgender boxers taking part in last year's Olympics. Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting were at the centre of a bitter storm during last year's Games after they claimed gold medals despite allegations they were biologically male. The IOC has been strongly criticised for failing to have a clear policy on transgender and DSD (Differences of Sexual Development) athletes. The organisation has previously left individual bodies in charge of regulations rather than taking a universal approach. Both Khelif and Yu-ting had been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships run by the International Boxing Association (IBA), the former governing body for the sport. World Boxing, who are now the governing body for the sport, announced last month that it will introduce mandatory sex testing for male and female boxers who want to take part in competitions, naming Khelif as a fighter who would need to undergo testing before taking part in this month's Eindhoven Box Cup. Coventry is the first woman to hold the IOC presidency and said its members want to develop a policy 'to come up with cohesion'. At her first news conference as president, the 41-year-old said: 'There was a lot of discussion and there was overwhelming support — not just among the members present but those of us who were able to share with us before they left — that we should protect the female category. 'And with that we are setting 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. '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, and as the IOC, we should make the effort to place emphasis on protection of the female category and that we should ensure that this is done in consensus with all the stakeholders. 'We have to do that to ensure fairness. And we have to do it with scientific approach. And with the inclusion of the international federations who have done a lot of work in that area. So we have to bring in the experts, that will take a little bit of time, and the international federations so that we have full buy-in and cohesion on this specific topic.' In an exclusive interview with Mail Sport this week, IBA president Umar Kremlev called on the IOC to strip Khelif of her gold medal. But the Zimbabwean IOC chief said there is no desire to revisit the fiery row which overshadowed the boxing at the Paris Olympics. 'We are not going to be doing anything retrospectively,' she said. 'We are going to be looking forward. And again, 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 and how are we going to strengthen the movement as we move into the future.'
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
One of the biggest names in tennis history throws her weight behind Aussie activist who is fighting a crusade against trans women in sport
Martina Navratilova, one of tennis's most celebrated figures, has backed Australian women's rights activist Sall Grover amid growing tensions over transgender inclusion in women's sport. Navratilova, who won 59 Grand Slam titles and dominated women's tennis for more than three decades, has recently reignited the debate by supporting Grover's calls for clearer policies on gender-based competition. The tennis legend voiced her support on social media platform X after commenting on the controversy surrounding Algerian Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif. Khelif was banned by World Boxing in 2025 following new sex-testing policies despite winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her ban followed prior disqualification from the 2023 Women's World Championships over alleged gender eligibility concerns, although she was cleared by the IOC to compete in Paris. Navratilova posted: 'Looking forward to all the apologies here!!!! All those who called us and most of all the opponents of Imane horrible names etc.' Pictured: The exchange on social media platform X in which Navratilova showed her support for Grover One of her followers responded, urging her to help women in Australia who felt that sporting fairness was under threat. 'Men can identify as women, simply because they say they are… Women's sport is suffering. Please help us raise awareness,' the follower posted. Navratilova replied: 'I know. Sall is on it – she will get it right for Australia eventually.' Grover, founder of the female-only app Giggle for Girls, has been one of Australia's most vocal critics of transgender inclusion in women's sport. She argues that allowing trans women to compete in female categories undermines the integrity, fairness and safety of those competitions. Grover said: 'Sports aren't played with edited birth certificates, they're played with bodies.' She has called for federal legislation to ensure women's sport is reserved for biological females. 'All guidelines need to clearly state that female sport is female only, and no legal fiction a man gets can overrule that,' Grover said. 'Sports aren't played with edited birth certificates, they're played with bodies.' The Giggle v Tickle case, in which Grover was found to have indirectly discriminated against a transgender woman, is currently under appeal. Grover said a legal win would 'establish that men cannot be women & that women-only spaces, services & sport are for women – the biological ones, the only kind of women there is.' Transgender inclusion in Australian sport varies by level and code. At the community level, self-identification is generally accepted, consistent with Human Rights Commission guidelines. However, elite and professional codes follow more stringent policies, often requiring evidence of hormone levels and transition timing. This is advised by the Australian Institute of Sport to maintain fairness and safety. Grover has rejected this two-tiered system, pushing for a total ban on transgender participation in women's sport. 'Where guidelines are letting down Australian women and girls, by letting men and boys self identify into our spaces and sport, we need federal legislation that can override any nonsense guidelines,' she said. 'We need laws that clearly state that anything exclusively for females is strictly female only, and that no male can ever be a female.' Navratilova's public support marks a significant international endorsement of Grover's position. It also arrives amid a growing number of Australian sports cases involving transgender athletes. In 2025, the Riddell District Netball Football League banned two transgender players, including Manawa Aranui, after safety complaints. In 2023, Basketball Australia ruled Lexi Rodgers ineligible to play in the NBL1 South women's league following a medical panel review. The WPGA Tour of Australasia followed suit in 2024, amending its eligibility rules to exclude transgender players like Breanna Gill unless they transitioned before puberty. Transgender athletes have experienced mixed rulings across sports. Hannah Mouncey, though barred from the AFLW in 2018, was allowed to represent Australia in international women's handball. Mianne Bagger, a transgender golfer, made history in 2004 by competing professionally in the Ladies European Tour after her transition. Navratilova has long advocated for LGBTQ+ rights but has raised concerns about competitive equity in elite women's sport. She continues to support inclusion at amateur levels but questions the impact of biological advantages in elite female competitions. Grover believes politicians and institutions have failed to provide leadership, leaving women to fight their battles through legal and public forums. 'Without effective leadership on this issue from politicians or institutions like the Australian Human Rights Commission or Australian Institute of Sport, the fight has been left to every day women to battle in court and society to ensure that women have rights,' she said.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
New Olympics chief Kirsty Coventry vows IOC will ‘ensure fairness' for female athletes
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'.'
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Kirsty Coventry vows that IOC will ensure fairness for female athletes
The event in Paris sparked controversy 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. Imane Khelif, pictured, has been told by World Boxing she must take a sex test in order to compete in its female events (Peter Byrne/PA) Now Coventry, in one of the first acts of her presidency, said there was unanimous backing from IOC members to establish a broad consensus, and announced a working group was being formed to focus on the protection of female sport. She insisted however that nothing the group came up with would have any impact on events in Paris. 'It was very, very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category. First and foremost, we have to do that to ensure fairness,' Coventry said at a briefing on Thursday. 'There was overwhelming support from all of the members… that we should protect the female category. 'It was agreed by the members that the IOC should take a leading role in this, and that we should be the ones to bring together the experts, bring together 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 and as the IOC, we should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category. 'We're not going to be doing anything retrospectively. We're going to be looking forward. From the members that were here (the sentiment) was 'what are we learning from the past, and how are we going to leverage that and move that forward to the future?'' Many sports, including athletics, cycling and swimming, have tightened their rules at the global level to bar competitors who have been through any stage of male puberty from the female category. In March, World Athletics gave the go-ahead for swab tests to determine biological sex and eligibility for its elite female category. Coventry added that World Athletics would be one of the global federations that would have 'a seat at the table' in the discussions. 'Every sport is slightly different, 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, so that really is what will be guiding the working group,' she added. US President Donald Trump has vowed not to grant visas to transgender athletes seeking to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (Alex Brandon/AP) Coventry, who officially became IOC president on Monday, said the working group membership and terms of reference would be decided in the next few weeks but said it was too soon to set further timelines on when any recommendations might be brought forward. United States president Donald Trump said earlier this year he would deny visas to transgender athletes seeking to compete in female categories at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. A UK Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, which clarified the wording of the 2010 Equality Act, has already led a number of sports governing bodies to amend their transgender inclusion policies, including the Football Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board. Coventry said members had also called for a review of when and how future Olympic Games hosting decisions would be taken, saying there was a desire from IOC members to be more heavily involved in the process. She said the review would not have any impact on existing dialogue with countries which had expressed interest in hosting future events.
