Donald Trump has said that all female athletes at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics might have to take a one-time sex test before competing.
This comes after controversy at the Paris 2024 Olympics involving Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting, both of whom won gold medals. Earlier, the International Boxing Association (IBA) had disqualified them from the 2023 Women’s World Championships in New Delhi for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests. The IBA said a special test showed they had advantages over other female competitors.
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed them to compete in Paris, saying that athletes’ gender and age are based on their passports.
At a press conference, President Trump promised “very strong” testing before the Olympics, though he did not give exact details. He also announced he would lead a White House task force to oversee some parts of the Games.
Meanwhile, World Athletics said all female athletes must take a one-time gene test before competing at the World Championships in Tokyo next month. The tests, which can be done with a cheek swab or blood sample, check for the SRY gene, which helps determine biological sex.
Athletes like Team GB’s Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell will need to complete the tests before the competition begins on September 13.
