Copyright GIVEMESPORT
The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles is still three years away, but it appears that all transgender athletes are set to be banned from competing. Under current Olympic rules, each individual sport is able to decide whether a transgender athlete may compete, so long as their testosterone levels fall below a certain threshold. This looks set to change shortly as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are reportedly in discussions to approve a sweeping change in policy that would see a total ban across all sports brought into force. A ban would prevent scenarios as that which saw New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard compete in the women's weightlifting super heavyweight category at the 2020 Olympics having transitioned in 2012. Sources close to the process insist that the 'direction of travel' for the talks is heading towards a complete ban, although it is highly unlikely to come into force before next February's Winter Olympics [Milano Cortina 2026]. Imane Khelif Faces Olympic Ban if New Rules Introduced In total, the ban could take up to a year to be fully approved. Additionally, it will not apply to athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD). A DSD athlete is defined as a competitor who has male chromosomes but was raised as female. While she insists that she was born female, Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has been accused of being an athlete who would fall under the DSD designation. Khelif, who won the gold medal in the women's 66 kg (welterweight) event at the 2024 Summer Olympics, has not fought since taking the title in the French capital last summer. She had intended to compete at September's World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, but was prevented from taking part over failed gender eligibility tests. At present, there is confusion over whether the planned Olympic ban would prevent Khelif from defending her gold medal in LA. However, if the transgender ban is introduced, it is expected that further pressure will be placed on Olympic bosses to introduce as similar rule for DSD athletes, effectiely banning Khelif from competing an Olympic level again.
