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The 2024 Paris Olympics will have stricter rules and regulations for transgender athletes than previous Games.

The Olympic Games in the French capital will make history as the first Games where men and women are equal. For the first time in the history of the event, 50 percent of the medals will go to women.

There is growing interest in transgender athletes, as there are concerns that transgender women have an unfair advantage over other athletes, and some federations have strict guidelines in place.

What are the rules?

The International Olympic Committee, which oversees the Games, has no specific rules or regulations and instead includes 10 guiding principles. The governing body also states that “each international federation is responsible for establishing the eligibility rules for its sport, including the eligibility criteria that determine qualification for the Olympic Games.”

According to the guidelines, transgender women must have transitioned before the age of 12 to qualify for the female category, to prevent male puberty from conferring a biological advantage.

Which sports have these rules?

The IOC guidelines have been adopted by World Athletics and Fina, the umbrella organisation of swimming.

Cycling follows these guidelines for women’s categories, but also allows an ‘open’ category which has replaced the current ‘men’s category’, to allow transgender athletes to compete.

World Rowing also allows rowers who transitioned before puberty to compete. One of the criteria is that testosterone levels must be below 2.5 nmol/L for a period of at least 24 months. Rugby, on the other hand, follows the IOC guidelines.

However, in triathlon, tennis and archery, testosterone levels must be below a certain limit in order to participate.

In other sports, transgender athletes are allowed to compete on a case-by-case basis.

Will there be transgender or non-binary athletes at the Paris Olympics?

Laurel Hubbard competed at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first openly transgender athlete to do so. She finished last in her competition group.

Nikki Hiltz is transgender and non-binary and uses the pronouns “they/them,” but has always competed in the female division and will represent the U.S. at the upcoming Olympics. She set a U.S. trials record in the 1500m to earn a spot on the Olympic roster.

Quinn, a non-binary Canadian soccer player, has also been chosen to represent their country at the Olympics. The midfielder, who plays for Toronto, has always competed in female categories.

Which transgender athletes will not be allowed to compete in the Paris competitions?

American BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe had hoped to race in Paris, but the UCI, cycling’s governing body, changed its rules and ended her hopes. She had qualified as a reserve for Tokyo 2020.

Halba Diouf’s dream was also shattered by new World Athletics rules, which meant the Senegal-born French sprinter was no longer allowed to participate in the athletics competition in Paris.

Swimmer Lia Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win a U.S. collegiate title in 2022, but lost a lawsuit against World Aquatics over her right to compete. The American remains barred from competing in the women’s category.