(Reuters) – Candidates to succeed Thomas Bach as president of the International Olympic Association have outlined their views on transgender athletes competing against women and in the Olympic Games, an issue that was the subject of an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump this week.
Below are references to the issue contained in the manifestos of five of the seven candidates, published in December. Two candidates did not express a view in their manifestos. The link to their full documents can be found here: manifestos.
David Lappartient: French, head of the international cycling federation.
As for transgender athletes, it is a complex matter that must be dealt with rationally to strike the right balance between the need to respect human rights and the obligation to ensure fair competition.
We cannot ignore what female athletes are saying, but our decisions must also be grounded on solid scientific evidence.
The IOC must guide International Federations towards decisions based on common principles and avoid a situation in which each International Federation takes a different stance in equivalent scenarios, which could harm the unity of the Olympic Movement.
However, we need to accept that the response may vary from one sport to the next.
Johan Eliasch, Swedish/British, President of the International Ski Federation
Women’s sports must be ring-fenced: no ifs, no buts. There can be no grey areas. The integrity of women’s sport must be protected whatever the cultural pressures.
In the face of these pressures, fairness and clarity can be achieved if we come back to biological facts. We must be guided by biological fact, not cultural trends.
Regardless of current testosterone levels, exposure to puberty creates sex differences in height, weight and so on which can provide a sporting advantage.
It is on the basis of this biological fact that I firmly believe we must ring-fence women’s sport, ensuring that only those who were born female can compete in women’s sport.
We owe it to female athletes to protect their competitive future through objective, science-informed frameworks, not policies shaped by subjective opinions or ideologies.
While international federations are ultimately autonomous organisations which set their own policies, it is vital that sports bodies across the globe have a uniform approach.
The IOC should lead the way, establishing a simple and clear policy to ensure a fair and safe environment for all athletes, particularly women.
This will not be easy, for obvious reasons, but we must remember that the integrity and even the viability of women’s sport is at stake here. What is paramount is not public opinion or prevailing trends but the integrity and safety of women’s sport.
The IOC must lead on the issue of gender and eligibility, creating the framework for international federations. While international federations are ultimately autonomous organisations which set their own policies, it is vital that sports bodies across the globe have a uniform approach.
What is paramount is not public opinion or prevailing trends but the integrity and safety of women’s sport.
The Olympics and Paralympics must be inclusive for all. We need to be open-minded about how to recognise the fact that every human being has a right not only to participate in sport, but to compete at the highest levels.
This could mean, for instance, separate categorisation based on biological identity and science-based metrics. It’s not about exclusion—it’s about fairness and safety.
Juan Antonio Samaranch: Spanish, Member of the Spanish National Olympic Committee.
The IOC has a fundamental duty to safeguard women’s sport by adopting a policy to maintain unambiguous distinctions between men’s and women’s categories. The IOC must lead on this issue by setting clear guidelines for competition.
Kirsty Coventry: Zimbabwean. National Sports Minister
I am dedicated to the equality of all athletes from all countries, which also means strengthening women’s sports by protecting female athletes and promoting equal opportunities for women at all levels of our Movement.
Sebastian Coe, British, President of World Athletics
Protect and promote the integrity of women’s sport. I will advocate for clear, science-based policies that safeguard the female category.
We will work closely with world-leading medical and educational institutions to increase research into female health, performance and exercise physiology. Women’s sport is at a critical juncture. We must navigate this with sensitivity and resolve to ensure current and future generations of women choose sport.
Morinari Watanabe: Japanese, president of the international gymnastics federation. No reference.
Feisal Al Hussein: Jordanian – President of the Jordan Olympic Committee, No reference.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, Karolos Grohman, Rohith Nair; Editing by Frank McGurty)
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