The IOC approved the policy at a session of its Executive Board on Thursday.
The new rule means transgender athletes who were males at birth are ineligible to compete in any female category IOC events.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the first female head of the organization, said, “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.” She added that “athletes will need to be screened only once in their lifetime.”
The IOC had previously left it up to the governing body of each sport to set gender eligibility criteria.
However, when Coventry took over as IOC chief last June, she said its members had agreed that the organization “should take a leading role” in finding consensus on the issue.
The IOC then formed a working group on the matter with the aim of ensuring safe and fair competition for female athletes
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