IOC Launches Working Group on Women's Sport Under President

• Kirsty Coventry, the IOC's new president, has set up a working group on women's sport
• It comes as part of a commitment "to protect the female category"
• The working group on women's sport is one of four panels announced by the IOC

Kirsty Coventry, the IOC's new president, has unveiled the establishment of a working group dedicated to women's sport in her promise "to protect the female category."

The group is one of four panels set up to examine the Olympic programme, the future of the Youth Olympic Games, and the organisation's commercial partnerships and marketing.

Whereas the names of members of the other three groups have been made public, the identities of the women's sport group members have not been released.

"The identities of working group members will be kept confidential at this point for the sake of maintaining the integrity of the group and their efforts," the IOC stated on Sept. 5.

The group, comprised of specialists and IF representatives, will consider how to preserve the female category. Coventry, the IOC's first woman president, had unveiled the plan when she took office on June 23.

After attending her inaugural executive board meeting, Kirsty announced a "Fit for the Future" initiative, highlighting women's sports as one of the core emphases.

Until now, decisions related to gender have rested with international sport federations, which are ramping up testing on males who have passed through male puberty or possess the male SRY gene.

Kirsty said the IOC wants to be in the lead by bringing together the experts and federations, acknowledging differing approaches may be used across sports.

She voiced optimism that the working group might come to a "consensus" on a policy. "It is very clear we need to guard the female category, ensure fairness, and do so founded on scientific evidence," she stated.

She, herself a double Olympic gold medallist swimmer, further stated that the IOC is facing extra scrutiny after a US executive order excluding transgender athletes from women's sport, potentially deterring people from participating in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Kirsty added that the four working groups "will enable us to meet timelines and contribute valued technical knowledge to these intricate debates, while realigning where needed to enhance the Movement."

Of the three panels whose members were announced, the one on the Olympic program includes several medalists, such as former middle-distance runner Sebastian Coe, the head of World Athletics; former canoeing champion Tony Estanguet, previous head of the Paris Olympic organising committee; and American sprinter Allyson Felix.

This panel will evaluate the size and pertinence of the Games, incorporation of new sports, possible overlap between summer and winter sports, and schedule considerations.