Kirsty Coventry, new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), supports banning trans women from female sports.
Former Zimbabwean Olympic swimmer Ms Coventry, 41, pipped Lord Sebastian Coe and Juan Antonio Samaranch to the position.
The election means Ms Coventry has become both the first female and first African ever to have held the role with the IOC – making her what is commonly dubbed ‘the most powerful person in sport’.
But the 41-year-old recently backed a blanket ban for trans athletes across all female categories and Olympic sports.
Following her inauguration, the newly elected president was asked on about her stance on trans competitors under her leadership for the future, and said she wants to ‘protect’ female athletes.
‘My stance is we will protect the female category and female athletes,’ she said.
‘I want to work together with the international federations and I want the IOC to take up more of a leading role.
‘We are going to bring everyone together to sit down and have a bit more input in the discussion.’
The former swimmer who is the most decorated Olympian from Africa, told in January how she backs an Olympic-wide gender policy that would prevent trans women from being able to compete in female categories.
She said: ‘Protecting the female category and female sports is paramount – it’s a priority that we collectively come together.
‘There is more and more scientific research. We are not having a conversation about how it is detrimental to men’s sport.
‘That, in itself, says we need to protect women’s sport. It is very clear that transgender women are more able in the female category, and can take away opportunities that should be equal for women.’
