00:01Reactions to the International Olympic Committee's new policy on gender testing were sharply divided,
00:06with supporters hailing a long-overdue move to protect women's sport
00:10and critics warning it risks stigma and harm to young athletes.
00:15Transgender women athletes are now excluded from female events at the Olympics
00:20after the IOC approved a new eligibility policy on Thursday,
00:24aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump's legislation,
00:27which banned their participation in the U.S. since February last year.
00:32The policy that we have announced is based on science,
00:35and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart.
00:41The scientific evidence is very clear.
00:44Male chromosomes give performance advantages in sports that rely on strength, power, or endurance.
00:50At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat.
00:55So it's absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.
01:02In addition, in some sports, it would simply not be safe.
01:06Every athlete must be treated with dignity and respect,
01:10and athletes will only need to be screened once in their lifetime.
01:13It's unclear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at the Olympic level.
01:19No woman who transitioned from being born male competed at the 2024 Paris Summer Games,
01:25though New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard did at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021,
01:30but did not win a medal.
01:32The new eligibility policy is set to go into effect starting with the upcoming Summer Games in Los Angeles in
01:38July 2028.
01:40The new eligibility policy is set to go into effect.
01:43The new eligibility policy is set to go into effect.
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