The International Olympic Committee has released a new framework for transgender inclusion with the aim of ensuring that no athlete is excluded from competition based on the grounds of a perceived unfair advantage.
The IOC stopped short of issuing regulations for every sport, and said that would be left up to the individual federations to determine.
"The framework is not legally binding. What we are offering to all the international federations is our expertise and a dialogue, rather than jumping to a conclusion," said IOC director of the athletes' department Keveh Mehrabi, according to Reuters. "This is a process that we have to go through with each federation on a case by case basis and see what is required."
The 10-point document is set to be rolled out after the Beijing Winter Games next year. The framework took two years to complete and involved input from more than 250 athletes and stakeholders.
The new framework also moves away from legacy testosterone requirements.
"You don't need to use testosterone (to decide who can compete) at all. But this is guidance, it's not an absolute rule," said IOC medical director Richard Budgett.
The document also advises that invasive physical examinations and sex testing are not necessary.
"We really want to make sure that athletes are not pressured or coerced into making a harmful decision about their bodies," said Magali Martowicz, IOC head of human rights.
