The Olympics are reportedly adopting a new policy that opens the field of competition to transgender athletes.
The International Olympic Committee received proposed guidelines in November from its 'Consensus Meeting on Sex Reassignment and Hyperandrogenism', which allow for broader policies that would include transgender athletes.
Olympic officials have not confirmed the new guidelines, which have already been adopted by other regulatory sports organizations, but the policy is available on the organization's website.
The International Olympic Committee received proposed guidelines in November at its 'Consensus Meeting on Sex Reassignment and Hyperandrogenism' that change policies for transgender athletes. Pictured above is an aerial view of Olympic Stadium in July, nearly a year befoer the kick off of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
The policy change would allow transgender athletes to compete without having gender reassignment surgery. It only requires athletes to have completed at least one year of hormone replacement therapy
The policy change would be in line with NCAA standards in the United States, which allow male-to-female and female-to-male transgender athletes to compete without having gender reassignment surgery, according to ESPN.
The current Olympic rules acknowledge transgender athletes' right to compete, but with specific provisions under the Stockholm Consensus, which was adopted in 2004.
The policies, adopted before the Athens Olympics, say transgender athletes have to have gender reassignment surgery and have legal recognition of the gender they were assigned at birth. They also have to have undergone at least two years of hormone replacement therapy after surgery.
The proposed new rules would allow transgender athletes to compete after one year of hormone replacement therapy and no surgery is required.
The proposal might open doors for transgender athletes like Chris Mosier. Last year Mosier qualified for the US Sprint Duathlon team, competing against men. He has yet to qualified for the 2016 Olympics
Joanna Harper, chief medical physicist, radiation oncology at Providence Portland Medical Center, was one of the people at the Consensus Meeting on Sex Reassignment and Hyperandrogenism. She is also trans, and said her voice was important in determining the new guidlines.
'The new IOC transgender guidelines fix almost all of the deficiencies with the old rules,' Harper said wrote in an email to OutSports. 'Hopefully, organizations such as the ITA will quickly adapt to the new IOC guidelines and all of the outdated trans policies will get replaced soon.'
'The waiting period for trans women goes from two years after surgery to one year after the start of HRT,' Harper added. 'This matches up with the NCAA rules and is as good as anything. The waiting period was perhaps the most contentious item among our group and one year is a reasonable compromise.'
The proposal might open doors for transgender athletes like Chris Mosier, who last year qualified for the US Sprint Duathlon team, competing against men.
The guidelines also contain recommendations that the Olympics put rules in place following the results of Indian sprinter Dutee Chand's (pictured left) victory in Court of Arbitration for Sport in July
Chand's story drew parallels to South African 800-meter runner Caster Semenya (pictured above in 2012), who was subjected to gender testing after winning a world title in 2009
Mosier has not undergone gender reassignment surgery but fulfills the hormone replacement guidelines.
It is unknown if the International Triathlon Union - which oversees the World Championship tri- and duathlon events - will also adopt the new regulations in time for Mosier to compete.
The IOC's commitment to World Anti-Doping Code and WADA's international standards will remain constant with the policy change.
The guidelines also contain recommendations that the Olympics put rules 'in place for the protection of women in sport and the promotion of the principles of fair competition' after the results of Indian sprinter Dutee Chand's victory in Court of Arbitration for Sport in July.
The decision allowed for female athletes with naturally elevated levels of testosterone to compete.
'The IAAF, with support from other International Federations, National Olympic Committees and other sports organisations, is encouraged to revert to CAS with arguments and evidence to support the reinstatement of its hyperandrogenism rules,' the policy reads.
Forty years ago Caitlyn Jenner (left) won a gold medal at the Montreal Summer Olympics in the Men's Decathlon event when she was then known as Bruce Jenner (right). If she were to compete today - if she had undergone one year of hormone replacement therapy - she could compete in the women's event
It continues: 'To avoid discrimination, if not eligible for female competition the athlete should be eligible to compete in male competition.'
Prior to the ruling, Chad was suspended for having high levels of testosterone.
Her story drew parallels to South African 800-meter runner Caster Semenya, who was subjected to gender testing after winning a world title in 2009.
She was suspended for more than a year before she went on to win a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Forty years ago Caitlyn Jenner won a gold medal at the Montreal Summer Olympics in the Men's Decathlon event when she was then known as Bruce Jenner.
If she were to compete today - if she had undergone one year of hormone replacement therapy - she could compete in the women's event.
1) Transgender guidelines
A. Since the 2003 Stockholm Consensus on Sex Reassignment in Sports, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of autonomy of gender identity in society, as reflected in the laws of many jurisdictions worldwide.
B. There are also, however, jurisdictions where autonomy of gender identity is not recognised in law at all.
C. It is necessary to ensure insofar as possible that trans athletes are not excluded from the opportunity to participate in sporting competition.
D. The overriding sporting objective is and remains the guarantee of fair competition. Restrictions on participation are appropriate to the extent that they are necessary and proportionate to the achievement of that objective.
E. To require surgical anatomical changes as a pre-condition to participation is not necessary to preserve fair competition and may be inconsistent with developing legislation and notions of human rights.
F. Nothing in these guidelines is intended to undermine in any way the requirement to comply with the World Anti-Doping Code and the WADA International Standards.
G. These guidelines are a living document and will be subject to review in light of any scientific or medical developments.
In this spirit, the IOC Consensus Meeting agreed the following guidelines to be taken into account by sports organisations when determining eligibility to compete in male and female competition:
1. Those who transition from female to male are eligible to compete in the male category without restriction.
2. Those who transition from male to female are eligible to compete in the female category under the following conditions:
2) Hyperandrogenism in female athletes In response to the interim award dated 24 July 2015 in Chand v AFI and IAAF CAS 2014/A/3759, the IOC Consensus Meeting recommended:
Rules should be in place for the protection of women in sport and the promotion of the principles of fair competition.
The IAAF, with support from other International Federations, National Olympic Committees and other sports organisations, is encouraged to revert to CAS with arguments and evidence to support the reinstatement of its hyperandrogenism rules.
To avoid discrimination, if not eligible for female competition the athlete should be eligible to compete in male competition.
Source: International Olympic Committee