In some major news for conservatives who are concerned about women’s sporting events, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is, according to media reports, making a major change in the rules as it heads into the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2028 Summer Olympics in California. The rule change follows a major shakeup in Olympic Committee leadership.
Such is what was reported by the Times of London on Monday, November 10, with the paper reporting that currently the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allows the governing body of each sport to make policies regarding involvement from transgender athletes, but that a shakeup in IOC leadership means now a blanket policy forbidding male-to-female transgender athletes from competing against biological women.
That change in policy has been hinted at for many months now, as IOC President Kirsty Coventry said in June that new protections needed to be made for the women’s category of sporting events, and that there was “overwhelming support” from IOC members to do so.
Speaking on the matter at the time and explaining what IOC members thought needed to be done, Coventry said, “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.”
Continuing, Coventry explained that a “scientific” approach would be used, but suggested as she did so that such an approach would mean that transgender athletes would not be competing against biological women in women’s sporting events. “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,” she said.
Now, those predictions have evidently become reality, with the Times of London revealing in its report that the IOC has decided to change the rules and forbid transgender athletes from competing in women’s events in future Olympics, including the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy in 2026.
Further, the Times reported that the drastic shift in policy will be announced by the IOC in February of 2026, and the decision to shift tracks came following a presentation from Dr. Jane Thornton, the IOC’s medical and scientific director, in early November. The Times also reported that the decision came because the IOC wanted to avoid a clash with President Donald Trump over the matter.
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The presentation reportedly revolved around the advantage in strength that male-to-female athletes have over biological women. Speaking about the presentation and the doctor’s findings on the matter to the Times, a source reportedly explained, “It was a very scientific, factual and unemotional presentation which quite clearly laid out the evidence.”
Commenting on the matter to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the IOC explained, “An update was given by the IOC’s Director of Health, Medicine and Science to the IOC Members last week during the IOC commission meetings.” Continuing, the spokesperson said, “The working group is continuing its discussions on this topic and no decisions have been taken yet. Further information will be provided in due course.”
Watch the discussion surrounding moving the Olympics out of LA here: