More than 80 organizations linked to sport and human rights have raised their voices against a possibility they consider deeply regressive: the implementation of genetic testing to determine the sex of athletes in high-performance sport. At the center of the debate is the International Olympic Committee, identified by these groups as the driver of a discussion that once again puts concepts such as equity, inclusion, and dignity under strain within global sport.

What appears to be a technical discussion quickly becomes a human one. Organizations warn that these measures would not only affect transgender and intersex athletes, but would also open the door to invasive controls over the bodies of all female athletes. In this context, the concern goes beyond a specific decision and points to what it symbolically represents: a potential rollback of rights within sport.

A debate that goes beyond sport

The origin of this controversy lies in recommendations attributed to an IOC working group focused on protecting the female category. According to organizations such as Sport & Rights Alliance and ILGA World, this group allegedly suggested implementing mandatory genetic tests to define athlete eligibility, which would imply excluding transgender and intersex athletes from women’s competition.

Criticism targets both substance and process. On one hand, the scientific and ethical basis of these tests is being questioned, recalling that the IOC itself suspended universal sex verification tests in 1996 after deeming them unjustifiable. On the other, there are concerns about the lack of transparency in the current process, reinforcing the perception that decisions are being made that could redefine the rules of sport without broad consensus or meaningful participation from the athletes affected.

Human rights, identity, and the role of sport

The signatory organizations argue that such policies would have a direct impact on the safety, privacy, and dignity of athletes. From voices like Andrea Florence, of the Sport & Rights Alliance, to activists such as Julia Ehrt, the message is clear: controlling the female body under strict biological criteria can lead to discriminatory practices that extend beyond competition.

They also warn that this potential shift would break with the Framework on Fairness, Inclusion, and Non-Discrimination promoted by the IOC in 2021, a document aimed precisely at expanding participation and protecting athletes from discrimination. In this tension between regulation and rights, voices such as Francine Niyonsaba have also emerged, calling for international sport not to become a space of institutionalized exclusion, but rather one where identities can coexist without being subjected to invasive scrutiny.