Liberal sports secretary says IOC’s new gender screening rules are ‘going back in time’

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsCanada Liberal sports secretary says IOC's new gender screening rules are 'going back in time' Van Koeverden was in Calgary to announce new funding for high-performance athletes, including Olympic hopefuls Author of the article: By Rahim Mohamed Published Jul 27, 2026 Last updated 35 minutes ago 3 minute read Join the conversation Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, June 11, 2026. PHOTO BY HYUNGCHEOL PARK/POSTMEDIA Article content OTTAWA — Canada’s top federal sports official says he’s “concerned” about new eligibility rules limiting Olympic women’s events to biological females, but says the changes are unlikely to stop Canada from trying to host the Olympics in the future. Article content Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden told reporters in Calgary on Monday that he was worried about the International Olympic Committee’s plan to roll out mandatory genetic screening for all athletes competing in the female category. Article content Article content Article content Van Koeverden said the IOC’s new gender eligibility policy was a step backwards. Article content NP Posted Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content “I’m quite concerned that going back in time 30 years, to a time when (gender verification testing) was commonplace, will be harmful to sport, and specifically women’s participation in sport,” said van Koeverden. Article content Van Koeverden was in Calgary to announce new funding for high-performance athletes, including Olympic hopefuls. Article content The IOC recently announced a policy that effectively bans transgender women and athletes with certain intersex conditions from competing in women’s Olympic events. All female athletes must take a one-time chromosomal test to compete in their sport. Article content The announcement ended a 26-year hiatus on universal gender screening for female Olympic athletes. It follows moves in jurisdictions like Alberta to curtail the involvement of transgender athletes in women’s sports, on the basis of concern for the fairness and safety of biological…