Athletes are now categorised by hormone levels (over time) rather than their bits.
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jan/25/ioc-rules-transgender-athletes-can-take-part-in-olympics-without-surgery
Under the previous IOC guidelines, approved in 2003, athletes who transitioned from male to female or vice versa were required to have reassignment surgery followed by at least two years of hormone therapy in order to be eligible to compete.
Now, surgery will no longer be required, with female-to-male transgender athletes eligible to take part in men’s competitions “without restriction”.
Meanwhile, male-to-female transgender athletes will need to demonstrate that their testosterone level has been below a certain cutoff point for at least one year before their first competition.
It's a bit surprising, if a transgender Male -> Female athlete never stops training through that exclusion period you would expect them to retain a significant portion of their physical advantage despite losses of testosterone.
I suppose this is coming about because the so called "blood passport" is now effectively becoming a reality for all Olympic and Professional athletes.
It's a bit surprising, if a transgender Male -> Female athlete never stops training through that exclusion period you would expect them to retain a significant portion of their physical advantage despite losses of testosterone.
I guess we'll see but the protocol has always been those with elevated hormone levels sit out for 2 years. It will be interesting to see the reaction from athletes should they get beaten by a transgender athlete for a medal - especially a gold one which can be worth a million dollars just in grants