Belarus plans to begin sex eligibility testing for athletes in August this year. The testing is intended to comply with new International Olympic Committee requirements for participation in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Under the new rules, transgender women and athletes with a male chromosomal pattern will not be eligible to compete in women’s events.
The issue was discussed on July 16 at a meeting of the Medical and Anti-Doping Commission of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus.
According to Iryna Malevanaya, director of the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Sports and chair of the commission, mandatory sex eligibility testing has already been introduced by five international sports federations — boxing, athletics, swimming, rugby, and cycling.
“Belarusian athletes are expected to begin testing in August in order to be eligible to compete in tournaments in September this year. However, the International Olympic Committee has not yet established the protocol for this testing.
At the meeting, possible mechanisms for implementing these requirements, sources of funding, testing methodology, and the legal issues that will need to be resolved during the implementation of this type of testing were identified,” she said.
The meeting also reviewed the outcomes of sessions of the medical and anti-doping commissions of the European Olympic Committees and the International Olympic Committee, as well as the commission’s work plans for 2027, the National Olympic Committee said.
