Piers Morgan Calls For Trans Olympics In Heated Row Over Ban

Piers Morgan has claimed that transgender athletes should have their own Olympics amid the IOC taking fresh steps towards banning them from all female categories.

The Times reported on Monday that the IOC were set to introduce a ban on transgender athletes from competing in all female Olympic events.

They were said to have commissioned a science-based review of 'evidence about permanent physical advantages of being born male', which was presented at an IOC meeting in front of members in Lausanne, Switzerland.

An IOC spokesperson confirmed to SPORTbible that a meeting did indeed take place, but that no final decision has been made on a blanket ban.

"An update was given by the IOC's Director of Health, Medicine and Science to the IOC Members last week during the IOC commission meetings," the spokesperson stated. "The working group is continuing its discussions on this topic and no decisions have been taken yet. Further information will be provided in due course."

The Olympics in 2028 will be hosted by Los Angeles for the first time since 1932.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender women from competing in all female sporting events back in February, shortly after taking office for his second term.

He warned that schools or other educational institutions could have their federal funding withdrawn if they did not comply with the order.

At present, the IOC has complex framework in place in relation to transgender athletes, and guide that trans women are able to compete in Olympic sports if they have reduced testosterone levels.

But the final decision rests with the individual sporting bodies involved.

Now, broadcaster and journalist Morgan has given his verdict on how the IOC should deal with the issue.

He has proposed that transgender athletes have their own Olympic Games.

Speaking on his YouTube show 'Piers Morgan Uncensored', the 60-year-old said: "The reality is that, a year ago, the United Nations came out with a report saying that nearly 1,000 medals [the figure is 'more than 890'] had been deprived from biological females by trans athletes in sport, at all levels, in that year. And that's just completely wrong.

"If it was anything else that was causing that, that was that unfair, we'd ban it immediately.

"And it's not because I don't want trans athletes to compete. They should either compete against their biological sex, as almost all of them have done far less successfully, or they compete in a new category.

"There are so many more people identifying as trans, fine. You can be a trans female athlete, or a trans woman athlete. Just compete against other trans women athletes. No problem with a trans Olympics. No problem."

Have transgender athletes competed at the Olympics?

So far, only New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard has competed in a female Olympic event as a transgender athlete.

The 47-year-old finished bottom of her group in weightlifting at Tokyo 2020, despite being tipped as a medal favourite.

At Paris 2024, Italian paralympic sprinter Valentina Petrillo competed in the T12 women's 200 metres event - a category for visually impaired athletes who commonly require a guide runner.

The 51-year-old's time of 25.94 put her in ninth place out of 11 athletes across the three semi-finals, meaning she missed out on the final.