Former Women’s Tennis Star Martina Navratilova Backs Sebastian Coe for IOC President, Backs Banning Trans Athletes from Women’s Competition
Former women’s tennis star Martina Navratilova has expressed her support for former British Olympic champion Sebastian Coe to become the next president of the International Olympics Committee (IOC). The reason behind her endorsement is Coe’s stance on banning trans athletes from women’s competition, an issue Navratilova has been a prominent advocate for.
Coe, who is the current head of World Athletics, has been outspoken about his opposition to trans inclusion in the women’s category. In a previous interview, he stated that he would explore a complete ban on trans athletes in the female category, saying, “We will have a very clear policy that will be un-ambiguous. We’ve been very clear in World Athletics that transgender athletes will not be competing in the female category at the elite level.”
Navratilova shared an article on her social media platform, stating, “IOC’s shift may alter DSD trans rules – here is hoping Seb Coe is the next president!” This comes as Coe has also criticized current IOC president Thomas Bach’s policies on trans inclusion, which have allowed for more flexibility in terms of gender eligibility.
Coe’s stance on trans inclusion has been called into question, particularly in the context of the recent Paris Olympics, where two athletes who had previously been disqualified from international competitions due to failing gender-eligibility tests went on to win gold medals. Coe has also been criticized for his views on sex-eligibility tests for Olympians, stating that he would “probably” implement similar policies to those used in World Athletics, which exclude transgender women who have gone through male puberty from competing in the female category.
The controversy surrounding trans inclusion has sparked heated debate, with the United Nations releasing a study finding that nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of the podium due to trans athletes competing in their category. The study also highlighted the increasing number of female athletes losing opportunities, including medals, when competing against males in mixed-sex categories.
As Coe campaigns for the presidency of the IOC, his stance on trans inclusion is likely to be a key issue, with Navratilova’s endorsement adding to the debate surrounding the matter.
