GENEVA (AP) 鈥 Whether to allow transgender athletes to compete in women鈥檚 sports already was a key debate among Olympic leaders before U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that puts pressure on them before the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
In a speech before signing the document on Wednesday, Trump said he wants the International Olympic Committee to change everything 鈥渉aving to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject.鈥
Outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach, who had a tense meeting with Trump during his first term in the White House, has avoided taking a strong stance on the subject, but many of the seven candidates running to replace him this year have.
Sebastian Coe, who heads World Athletics, the global body governing track and field, appeared to support Trump鈥檚 position on his .
"Preserving the integrity of competition in the female category is a fundamental principle of the sport of athletics and as we know everything starts in schools,鈥 said Coe, a two-time 1,500-meter Olympic champion from Britain. 鈥淓stablishing clear, unambiguous policies is a critical first step.鈥
Currently, the IOC just advises sports governing bodies that make the final decisions on eligibility. The IOC has allowed transgender athletes to participate at the Olympics since 2004, but it wasn鈥檛 until 2021 that the competed.
Three top Olympic sports 鈥 track and field, swimming and cycling 鈥 now bar athletes who went through male puberty from competing in women鈥檚 international events.
The IOC election to replace Bach, whose 12-year limit is reached and leaves in June, is on March 20 at a meeting in Greece. Some of the candidates have made it clear where they stand on transgender participation.
鈥淎t World Athletics we have developed clear, consulted policies on female eligibility,鈥 Coe wrote in his manifesto aimed at IOC voters. 鈥淚 will advocate for clear, science-based policies that safeguard the female category.鈥
Another leading contender to replace Bach, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., has also urged the IOC to set clear guidelines on the issue.
鈥淭he IOC has a fundamental duty to safeguard women鈥檚 sport by adopting a policy to maintain unambiguous distinctions between men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 categories,鈥 Samaranch wrote in December.
In his election manifesto, the head of the ski federation, Johan Eliasch, said he wants the IOC to set the rules 鈥済uided by biological fact, not cultural trends.鈥
鈥淩egardless of current testosterone levels, exposure to puberty creates sex differences in height, weight and so on which can provide a sporting advantage,鈥 said Eliasch, urging 鈥渟cience-informed frameworks鈥 over ideology.
The International Cycling Union followed the transgender policy of and athletics in July 2023, though its president David Lappartient was more cautious in his Olympic manifesto. He suggested the IOC should guide Olympic sports bodies with common principles while 鈥渨e need to accept that the response may vary from one sport to the next.鈥
The only woman among the seven IOC candidates, two-time swimming Olympic gold medalist Kirsty Coventry, did not directly address the gender issue in her manifesto, writing instead of 鈥渟trengthening women鈥檚 sports by protecting female athletes.鈥
But in an interview with the BBC two weeks ago, she said it's the IOC's duty to ensure equal opportunity and fairness.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe we can do that based off of the medical and science research that I鈥檝e seen if we add or allow for transgender women to compete in the female category right now," she said. 鈥淚t is very clear that transgender women are more able in the female category, and can take away opportunities that should be equal for women."
Questioned last week at an IOC-hosted event for candidates, Coventry 鈥 the sports minister of Zimbabwe 鈥 said: 鈥淎long the road we are going to learn lessons, and we are going to get stronger and we are going to make better rules and regulations.鈥
The two other candidates 鈥 Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan and gymnastics federation president Morinari Watanabe 鈥 didn鈥檛 address transgender athletes in their documents, though Prince Feisal stressed gender equality and equality of opportunity.
The next IOC leader will need a functioning working relationship with the Trump administration ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics.
Trump said he had directed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem 鈥渢o deny any and all visa applications made by men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes.鈥
On the campaign trail, Trump frequently misgendered as men and said their ability to participate in the Paris Games was 鈥渄emeaning to women鈥 even though both of Algeria and were assigned female at birth and identify as women.
Bach, the outgoing IOC president, on Thursday said he wasn鈥檛 familiar with Trump鈥檚 comments the night before.
鈥淚鈥檓 not aware of these comments. Let鈥檚 see,鈥 Bach said in Milan at an event to mark one year until the 2026 Winter Olympics open.
Later Thursday, the IOC responded to a request for comment on the issue, saying: 鈥淲orking with the respective international sports federations, the IOC will continue to explain and discuss the various topics with the relevant authorities.鈥
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AP Sports Writer Daniella Matar in Milan contributed to this report.
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