France’s Sports Minister Marina Ferrari has criticised the International Olympic Committee’s decision to bring back sex testing, saying it singles out women and goes against the principle of equality.
The IOC announced this week that transgender athletes will be banned from competing at the Olympics from the Los Angeles 2028 Games onwards. To enforce this, all female competitors will be required to take a one-off genetic test, known as the SRY gene test, to confirm their sex.
Ferrari said France opposes the widespread use of genetic testing, pointing out that such tests were first introduced in 1967 but scrapped in 1999 because scientists had serious doubts about their reliability. She also noted that the testing procedure is illegal in France, though IOC President Kirsty Coventry said athletes from countries where the test is banned could be tested elsewhere when travelling to other competitions.
Coventry added that the policy would not be fully enforced until LA28, giving everyone time to work through the process.
Neighbouring Spain also pushed back against the decision, with Sports Minister Milagros Tolón arguing that the policy addresses equality between men and women but fails to consider the rights of transgender athletes fairly.
Human rights organisations have also spoken out, calling the new rules discriminatory and not backed by science. Professor Paula Gerber, an international human rights lawyer, said mandatory genetic testing violates basic human rights, including the right to privacy and dignity, and that any testing should be based on individual evidence rather than blanket rules.
Some have raised concerns about the impact beyond elite sport. Human rights lawyer and former Olympic swimmer Nikki Dryden warned the policy could affect girls at grassroots level, potentially leading to a culture where anyone feels entitled to question whether a girl looks female enough to take part. She also argued the rules conflict with Australian law and safeguarding obligations.
However, Australian Olympic Committee president Ian Chesterman backed the new guidelines, saying they provide clarity for elite female athletes and reflect the Olympic movement’s commitment to fairness and integrity.
