France calls IOC sex testing a ‘step backwards’ while Trump praises move

Transgender women athletes now excluded from female events at the Olympics after IOC agrees new eligibility policy.New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympics at Tokyo in 2021 [File: Edgard Garrido/Reuters]Published On 27 Mar 2026France’s sports minister has called the International Olympic Committee’s decision to introduce genetic testing for women’s ⁠events a “step backwards”, warning it raises major ethical, legal and scientific concerns, while US President Donald Trump praised the IOC’s new policy.France “takes note” of the decision to require athletes to undergo testing based on the SRY ⁠gene, but opposes any broad use of genetic screening, Marina Ferrari said in a statement on Friday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Iran bans sports teams from travelling to ‘hostile’ countries amid warlist 2 of 4Italy to play Bosnia in 2026 World Cup playoff final, Kosovo face Turkiyelist 3 of 4Mbappe nets for 10-man France in win against Brazil in World Cup warm-uplist 4 of 4Olympics align with Trump as transgender athletes banned from women’s gamesend of list“On behalf of the French government, I wish to express our deep concern regarding this decision,” she said. “We oppose a generalisation of genetic testing that raises numerous ethical, ‌legal and medical questions, particularly in light of French bioethics legislation.”The IOC said on Thursday that only biological female athletes would be eligible for women’s events from the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics onwards, following a one-time gene test designed to identify male sex development. The move essentially bars transgender athletes from competing in the female category.The rule is in line with an executive order by Trump from February 2025 that banned transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.“Congratulations to the International Olympic Committee on their decision to ban Men from Women’s Sports,” Trump said late on Thursday on the Truth Social platform.“This is only happening because of my powerful Executive Order, standing up for Women and Girls!”However, Ferrari said that: “These tests, introduced in 1967, were discontinued in 1999 ⁠due to strong reservations within the scientific community regarding ⁠their relevance. France regrets this step backwards.”She added that the policy risked undermining equality by specifically targeting women.“This decision raises major concerns, as it specifically targets women by introducing a distinction ⁠that undermines the principle of equality,” she said.Ferrari also warned that the approach failed to reflect biological diversity, particularly among intersex ⁠individuals.“It defines the female sex without taking into ⁠account the biological specificities of intersex individuals, whose sexual characteristics present natural variations, leading to a reductive and potentially stigmatising approach,” she said.New Zealand’s Olympic Committee said on Friday that the IOC policy would bring greater “clarity” and “fairness” to future Games.New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympics at Tokyo in 2021.NZOC chief executive Nicki Nicol said the organisation recognised the “extensive consultation and expert input that has informed this policy”, particularly from athletes.She said it would bring “greater clarity, consistency and fairness to eligibility for the female category at the Olympic level”.“This is a complex and sensitive area that directly affects people, not just policy,” she added.After competing in 2021, Hubbard, who failed in all of her lifting attempts in Tokyo, said she was aware of the controversy surrounding her participation.Friday’s NZOC comments did not refer to Hubbard, who has kept a very low profile since her games appearance.Also reacting to Thursday’s IOC announcement, Australian Olympic Committee president Ian Chesterman said the IOC had comprehensively investigated what he called a “complex issue”.“Without doubt, this is a challenging and complex subject, and at the AOC we approach it with empathy and understanding.”He added: “This decision provides clarity for elite female athletes who compete at the highest level and demonstrates a commitment to fairness, safety and integrity in Olympic competition, all of which are fundamental principles of the Olympic Movement.“As the IOC has stated, at the highest level of sport, the smallest margins can determine outcomes, and clarity around eligibility is critical for female athletes to continue to compete on a level playing field.”