Thirty years after abandoning them, the International Olympic Committee has formalized the return of genetic tests of femininity. On March 26, 2026, the body adopted a new framework. It imposes compulsory screening for the SRY gene on all athletes wishing to compete in the women’s category. A decision that divides the scientific and sporting world. It directly concerns the 2030 Winter Games in France.
A measure born from the Parisian controversy
It all starts, in reality, at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The women’s boxing events highlighted the case of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting. Their eligibility had been debated on a global scale. Under the leadership of the new IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, the institution has decided to act. The result is a unique test, carried out only once in an athlete’s life. It looks for the presence of the SRY gene, generally associated with the Y chromosome. The IOC presents it as a “reliable indicator for determining biological sex”. The analysis is carried out using a swab from the inside of the cheek or a blood test.
Concretely, any athlete must now prove the absence of this gene to obtain the right to compete. The measure becomes mandatory from the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. It therefore also applies to the 2030 Winter Games in France. This calendar already places French organizers in a delicate position.
A test banned in France and contested by science
France, in fact, poses a concrete problem. The 1994 bioethics law prohibits genetic testing for the purpose of discrimination. In other words, no French athlete can undergo this test on national soil. World Athletics was ahead of the IOC. The international athletics federation had imposed these same tests from September 1, 2025. It confirmed that French athletes would be tested abroad, particularly during preparation courses.
But the problem goes beyond the simple legal framework. Many scientists dispute the very relevance of the SRY test. The European Society of Human Genetics is categorical. This marker does not constitute “a valid scientific basis for determining sex”, according to her. Biologist Joëlle Wiels, emeritus research director at the CNRS, goes further. She points to “an ignorance on the subject”, recalling that biology does not produce a strict bicategorization of woman/man. Indeed, biological sex results from a combination of chromosomal, hormonal, gonadal and phenotypic factors. Reducing this reality to a single gene amounts to ignoring the complexity of life.
Furthermore, researchers have established a disturbing fact. No independent data demonstrates a sporting advantage linked to the sole presence of the SRY gene. This observation raises a fundamental question: on what solid scientific basis does this measure really rest?
A decision in contradiction with the Olympic Charter
By imposing this test, the IOC directly contradicts its own 2021 non-discrimination framework. This framework was based on the inclusion and protection of all athletes. It covered all gender identities. Sports associations, LGBT+ federations and researchers jointly denounced the measure. According to them, it uses science to legitimize the exclusion of transgender and intersex athletes. This regulation only applies to women, with no equivalent on the male side.
Certainly, the argument put forward by its defenders remains that of sporting fairness. Sebastian Coe, head of World Athletics, said that “gender cannot trump biology”. However, specialists speak of “a huge step backwards”. They recall that the first tests of this type date back to 1966.
Ultimately, the question is not only sporting. It affects the fundamental rights of athletes and the dignity of women. It also questions the way in which sporting institutions construct their definition of the female body. The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2030 Winter Games in France are on the horizon. The debate remains open.
