Caster Semenya Blasts IOC President Over Transgender Ban

Two-time Olympic gold medalist criticizes Kirsty Coventry's leadership on new policy restricting female athletes with DSD conditions.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 5:06pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya expressed disappointment with the International Olympic Committee and called out IOC president Kirsty Coventry, a fellow African woman, over the IOC's recent decision to ban transgender athletes from competing in the Games. The new policy also restricts female athletes like Semenya with medical conditions known as differences in sex development (DSD).

Why it matters

Semenya, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 800 meters, has been banned from competing at major international meets because of her refusal to take medication to artificially reduce her naturally high testosterone levels. The IOC's new policy, which it says 'protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category,' has faced backlash from advocates for inclusivity in sports.

The details

The IOC issued the ban on March 26, reversing its 2004 decision to allow the participation of transgender women athletes. To date, only one openly transgender woman has competed at the Olympics, a weightlifter from New Zealand who did not make it past her opening round of competition at the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021. Semenya criticized Coventry, a native of Zimbabwe, for not understanding the experiences of African athletes and the science behind DSD conditions.

  • The IOC issued the ban on March 26, 2026.
  • The new eligibility policy will begin with the Los Angeles Olympics in July 2028.

The players

Caster Semenya

A two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 800 meters who was assigned female at birth but has testosterone levels higher than the typical female range, making her subject to the IOC's new policy.

Kirsty Coventry

The president of the International Olympic Committee, who is also a native of Zimbabwe, Africa.

International Olympic Committee (IOC)

The international governing body for the Olympic Games that recently issued a ban on transgender athletes competing in the Olympics.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Personally, for her as a leader, she's an African, I'm sure she understands how, you know, we as Africans, we are coming from, as a global South, you know, you cannot control genetics.”

— Caster Semenya, Olympic Champion Runner

“(I)f the science is clear, show us who decided and don't dress that as a lie because it's a lie and we know because we've seen it.”

— Caster Semenya, Olympic Champion Runner

What’s next

The new IOC policy on transgender and DSD athletes will go into effect at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The takeaway

Semenya's criticism of the IOC's new policy and its president Kirsty Coventry highlights the ongoing debate around inclusivity and fairness in women's sports, especially for athletes with naturally occurring biological variations.