Tennis icon Martina Navratilova has publicly endorsed Sebastian Coe for the upcoming International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidency. A key factor in her support is Coe's firm position against allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports, a cause Navratilova has championed. She expressed her hope for Coe's leadership on X, highlighting his potential influence on regulations concerning transgender athletes and Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) in sports.
Coe, currently heading World Athletics, has outlined his vision for the IOC in a manifesto emphasizing the protection of female athletes. Unlike the current IOC president, Thomas Bach, Coe opposes the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's events and has previously indicated he would consider a complete ban. He has affirmed his commitment to a clear and unambiguous policy on this matter.
In 2023, World Athletics, under Coe's leadership, strengthened its regulations on transgender athletes, barring transgender women who have undergone male puberty from competing in women's categories and lowering the permitted testosterone levels for female competitors. Coe has suggested that if he becomes IOC president, Olympic policy on transgender inclusion would likely mirror these regulations. He has also criticized the IOC's handling of situations involving athletes like Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, who won gold medals in women's boxing at the Paris Olympics despite previous disqualifications for failing gender-eligibility tests.
A recent United Nations study highlighted the impact of transgender athletes on female competitors, reporting that almost 900 biological females have missed out on medals due to competition from transgender athletes in various sports. The study emphasized the displacement of female athletes in a mixed-sex category, leading to lost opportunities and medals.
