The IOC’s decision to protect the female category is a victory for fairness | Tanya Aldred

Trans athletes and those with DSD must be treated with respect, and the new testing regime must be run with sensitivity. But this is a step forward The decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to exclude transgender women and most athletes with differences of sex development (DSD) from women’s Olympic sport has won praise from most major sports bodies but criticism from some activist groups. It also closes the door on a period where often well-intentioned inclusivity came at the expense of sportswomen, and those who pointed out that the rules were not fair. In the melee of relief and bitter disappointment, misconceptions and confusion have been able to flourish. So why has the IOC changed its rules on elite sport leading up to the 2028 Olympics? Central to the new policy on the protection of the female category is that male physical advantage is real. Men hold a performance advantage over women of 10-12% in most running and swimming events and at least 20% in most throwing and jumping events. The advantage can be more than 100% in explosive events such as boxing or weightlifting. The IOC document says: “Males have larger and stronger skeletal muscle and bone, large