March 22, (THEWILL) – A new study by 26 academics has lambasted the International Olympic Committee’s framework on the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sport.
In a paper published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, they argue the policy fails to protect fairness for female competitors and lacks scientific or medical backing.
The academics assert decisions on eligibility for the female category must consider male biological development rather than solely focusing on testosterone levels.
“We urge the IOC to re-evaluate their framework to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the advantages gained through male development, safeguarding fairness and safety in women’s sports,” the paper states.
It highlights that the current IOC guidance instructs sports bodies to make “no presumption of advantage” for transgender athletes, which the academics claim ignores the permanent physical advantages conferred by male puberty. Numerous studies cited show transgender women retain increased muscle mass, strength and other physiological edges even after testosterone suppression.
Contending the purpose of sex-segregated sport categories is undermined by disregarding male performance advantages, the paper advocates for female athletes to have a key decision-making role on inclusion policies that directly impact them. “The IOC must consider the rights and opinions of all stakeholders, explicitly including female athletes as primary stakeholders,” it asserts.
The academics’ intervention comes as American transgender swimmer, Lia Thomas, challenges her exclusion from elite women’s events at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
