Olympics set to OK transsexual athletesGay.com U.K.
Friday, November 14, 2003 / 04:05 PM


Athletes who have undergone sex reassignment are set to be eligible to compete in the Olympic Games for the first time.

Reuters reports that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is finalizing new rules, following a meeting of experts in Sweden last month.

The committee is expected to officially announce the new policy in the next few weeks.

Patrick Schamasch, medical director for the IOC, said transsexual athletes will be eligible for the Olympics once they have passed a certain amount of time after sex reassignment surgery. The exact length of the waiting period hasn't been determined.

"The trend is to have an ineligibility period. Then after certain conditions have been fulfilled, the athlete will be able to compete in his or her new sex," he added. Schamasch said officials would want to make sure any side effects of hormone therapy have worn off.

Schamasch said he didn't know whether there were any potential transsexual athletes in line to compete in next summer's Athens Olympics, but he said several international sports federations have asked the IOC for guidance.