Latest news with #femaleathletes
The Guardian
a day 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
a day 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.'
Japan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Kirsty Coventry says IOC will take lead regarding gender eligibility in sports
The International Olympic Committee will spearhead discussions on gender eligibility criteria in sports, its new president Kirsty Coventry said on Thursday, four years after the ruling body urged federations to handle the issue independently. Coventry, who officially took over the presidency from Thomas Bach this week following Monday's ceremony in Lausanne as the first woman and first African to hold the position, said she now wanted the IOC to "protect the female category." She announced the formation of a working group to lead these discussions and another to review the election process for future Olympic host cities. The IOC has long refused to apply any universal rule on transgender participation for the Olympics, instructing international federations in 2021 to come up with their own guidelines. "We're going to actually set up a working group made up of experts and international federations," Coventry told a news conference following the first executive board meeting of her presidency. She also held a two-day workshop for IOC members this week to discuss key issues with them. "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," Coventry said. "We understand that there will be differences depending on the sports. We should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category and that we should ensure that this is done in consensus with all the stakeholders." Transgender athletes are currently eligible to compete at the Olympics. Some international federations have rules in place, but others have not yet reached that stage. U.S. President Donald Trump has banned transgender athletes from competing in sports in schools in the United States, which civil rights groups say infringes on the rights of transgender people. Trump has said he would not allow transgender athletes to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Coventry said IOC members also wanted to be more involved in the selection process for future Olympic host cities. Under her predecessor, the IOC executive board presented one preferred candidate to IOC members, who then rubber-stamped that choice. "There was overwhelming support from the IOC members for a pause to be done, and a review of the future host election process," Coventry said. "Members want to be engaged more in the process, and secondly there was a very big discussion in and around when should the next host be awarded." The next Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028, followed by Brisbane in 2032. The IOC has reported "double-digit" interest for the 2036 Games from countries including India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, Indonesia and Turkey. No date for a decision on those Games has been set. The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place in Italy's Milano Cortina, with the French Alps hosting the 2030 edition and Salt Lake City in the U.S. organizing the 2034 Winter Games.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
International Olympic Committee looks to 'protect the female category'
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will spearhead discussions on gender eligibility criteria in sports, its new President Kirsty Coventry says four years after the ruling body had urged federations to handle the issue independently. Coventry, who officially took over the presidency from Thomas Bach this week - following a ceremony in Lausanne - as the first woman and first African to hold the position , said she now wanted the IOC to "protect the female category". She announced the formation of a working group to lead these discussions and another to review the election process for future Olympic host cities. The IOC has long refused to apply any universal rule on transgender participation for the Games, instructing international federations in 2021 to come up with their own guidelines. "We're going to actually set up a working group made up of experts and international federations," Coventry told a press conference following the first executive board meeting of her presidency. She had also held a two-day workshop for IOC members this week to discuss key issues with them. "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," Coventry said. "We understand that there will be differences depending on the sports. "We should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category and that we should ensure that this is done in consensus with all the stakeholders." Transgender athletes are currently eligible to compete at the Olympics. Some international federations have rules in place but others have not yet reached that stage. US President Donald Trump has banned transgender athletes from competing in sports in schools in the United States, which civil society groups said infringed on the rights of trans people. Trump has said he would not allow transgender athletes to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Coventry said IOC members also wanted to be more involved in the selection process for future Olympic host cities. Under her predecessor, the IOC executive board presented one preferred candidate to IOC members, who then rubber-stamped that choice. "There was overwhelming support from the IOC members for a pause to be done, and a review of the future host election process," Coventry said. "Members want to be engaged more in the process and secondly there was a very big discussion in and around when should the next host be awarded." The next Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028, followed by Brisbane in 2032. The IOC has reported "double-digit" interest for the 2036 Games from countries including India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, Indonesia and Turkey. No date for a decision on those Games has been set. The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place in Italy's Milano-Cortina, with the French Alps hosting the 2030 edition and Salt Lake City organising the 2034 Winter Games. - Reuters
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
We have to protect the female category - IOC's Coventry
Kirsty Coventry was elected as the IOC's first female president in March [Getty Images] Kirsty Coventry, the new president of the International Olympic Committee, says its members have shown "overwhelming support" to protecting the female category in sport. Speaking on Thursday, she said the IOC must "play a leading role" in discussions on gender eligibility. Advertisement At her first news conference since taking over the role earlier this week, the Zimbabwean revealed a working group on the issue made up of experts and international federations would "ensure that we find consensus". The IOC has previously left gender regulations to the governing bodies of individual sports rather than applying a universal approach. But having become the first woman to hold the IOC presidency, 41 year-old Coventry said its members now wanted to develop a policy "to come up with cohesion". However, Coventry also hinted that no retrospective action would be taken over the controversial boxing tournament at last year's Paris Olympics, when the IOC's handling of gender rules came under intense scrutiny. Advertisement Following a first meeting of her executive board, Coventry added, "We understand that there'll be differences depending on the sport… but it was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost to ensure fairness. "But we need to do that with a scientific approach and the inclusion of the international federations who have already done a lot of work in this area." During her election campaign, former swimmer Coventry – a seven-time Olympic medalist - pledged to introduce a blanket ban on transgender women competing in female Olympic competition. In recent years a growing number of sports federations have barred athletes who have undergone male puberty from competing in elite female competition amid concerns over fairness and safety. Advertisement However, in other sports, transgender women are still able to compete in women's events at the Olympics. The IOC was engulfed in controversy at the Paris Games last summer when Algeria's Imane Khelif won the women's welterweight boxing gold medal - a year after being disqualified from the World Championships for reportedly failing a gender eligibility test. The IOC cleared the 25-year-old to compete - along with Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting - who was also banned by the suspended International Boxing Association (IBA). The IOC said competitors were eligible for the women's division if their passports said they were female. Both fighters insist they are women, have always competed in the women's division, and there is no suggestion they are transgender. Advertisement Some reports took the IBA stating that Khelif has XY chromosomes to speculate that the fighter might have differences of sexual development (DSD), like runner Caster Semenya. However, the BBC has not been able to confirm whether this is or is not the case. Last year, the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) said reports it had stripped Khelif of the Paris gold medal for failing gender eligibility tests were "obviously false". When asked if her working group could apply any retrospective action, Coventry said, "We're not going to be doing anything retrospectively. We're going to be looking forward. From the members [it] was 'what are we learning from the past, and how are we going to leverage that and move that forward to the future?'" Earlier this month, World Boxing said mandatory sex testing would be introduced in July "to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women." It follows World Athletics which has also approved the introduction of a swab test to determine if an athlete is biologically female. Advertisement When asked if she endorsed such a policy, and if the IOC could also adopt it, Coventry said, "It's too early to pre-empt the medical experts. "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…having a seat at table and sharing with us because every sport is 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." In February, the president of the International Paralympic Committee told BBC Sport that he is opposed to "blanket solutions" for transgender participation policies. Advertisement Andrew Parsons was speaking after United States president Donald Trump signed an executive order that prevents transgender women from competing in female categories of sports. He said he would deny visas to transgender athletes seeking to compete in female categories at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. Coventry said the IOC also planned to set up a second working group looking at when Olympic host cities should be named.
