London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

No perfect solution to transgender issue, says USOPC

No perfect solution to transgender issue, says USOPC

There are no perfect solutions to the transgender sport issue, the head of the United States Olympic Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said on Thursday, adding that not even its own board is in agreement on a way forward.
The transgender sport debate exploded this week after FINA, world swimming's governing body, voted to restrict the participation of transgender competitors in women's competition and establish an "open" category, a move widely opposed by LGBT rights advocates.

Following FINA's decision many other sport federations, including world soccer's governing body FIFA and World Athletics have moved to review their transgender eligibility policies.

The International Olympic Committee said in November no athlete should be excluded from competition on the grounds of a perceived unfair advantage, while leaving it up to sports International Federations (IF) to decide where the balance lay between inclusion and fairness.

USOPC Chair Susanne Lyons said her organisation would also leave it up to the IFs and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to develop policies but expects to be part of the discussion.

"I think we would all agree there are no perfect solutions to this very complex issue," said Lyons, whose term as CEO comes to an end in January. "Things need to be decided at the federation level.

"We're not the decision makers on what the policies will be but we do feel that we do have an obligation to be informed and educated and provide whatever tools our NGBs need as they work with their IFs to try to develop their own policy."

Advocates for transgender inclusion argue that not enough studies have yet been done on the impact of transition on physical performance, and that elite athletes are often physical outliers in any case.

Balancing the Olympic Movement's core values of safety, fairness and inclusion with individual rights of athletes, however, is a tricky equation.

"Part of inclusion is the individual right of an athlete to compete," Lyons said. "Those a values are at odds in this particular instance.

"Not everyone agrees. Even in our own board I would say we are not yet aligned on if one those values or more need to take precedence over another," she added.

"We do not have all the answers, we don't even have all the agreements yet but we will try to provide as much support as possible to our partner NGBs as they struggle to set policy on this."
Comments

Ken 3 year ago
3 classes. He. She and God knows what. The only reason that guy is swimming on that girls university team is because he is not good enough to be competitive on a boys team. What surprised me is that some of the real guys in the university have not talked him behind the shed and had a talk to him about how he is screwing up the girls future by stealing medels, maybe they are all soy boys going to that school

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
×