Transgender athletes may be able to compete in the Olympics without having themselves surgically altered first, an International Olympic Committee advisory panel recently recommended.
Previous rules, dating to 2003, required athletes who had transitioned from one sex to the other to have undergone gender-reassignment surgery and to have had at least two years of hormone therapy to be eligible.
Under the recommendations of a panel on the subject held in November, OutSports.com, a site that describes itself as “the galactic leader in gay sports,” said that if adopted, as expected, the new rules would “leave no restriction” on transgender men from competing in men’s sports.
But the new rules governing those who are transitioning from male to female would remain more complicated.
While the athlete wouldn’t have to undergo anatomical alteration in order to compete in female events, she “must demonstrate that her total testosterone level in serum has been below 10 nmol/L (referring to molecular concentration) for at least 12 months prior to her first competition,” OutSports said. The athlete’s testosterone level must also remain within the specified threshold “throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category.”
The IOC has yet to issue a formal announcement regarding the decision, Outsport said.
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