"The decision, which, incidentally, has already been communicated to the Olympic committee, is one of non-opposition and alignment with this position," said the minister during her parliamentary hearing at the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees.

Balseiro Lopes addressed the issue after being questioned by Rui Rocha, a member of parliament from the Liberal Initiative, about the government's position regarding the IOC's imposition, communicated at the end of March.

Genetic test

The participation of athletes in women's events at the Olympic Games will be conditional on undergoing a genetic test, starting with Los Angeles 2028, the IOC announced on 26 March.

On the same day, the Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP) promised to "strictly monitor" the IOC's decision.

"The COP will monitor the application of these rules with rigour, responsibility and proportionality, ensuring that their implementation fully respects the principles of confidentiality, data protection, adequate support for athletes and respect for individual dignity," said the COP's Secretary-General, Diana Gomes, at the time.

New rules in Los Angeles

In statements to Lusa, the leader spoke about the new rules, to be applied in Los Angeles 2028, according to which, in addition to the exclusion of transgender athletes, the imposition of a genetic test will also exclude some intersex competitors, even if they were born with female genital characteristics, as is the case of the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, Olympic champion in Paris 2024.

"Women's sport is not an organisational detail, it is a historical achievement that has allowed women to compete, win and inspire generations," Diana Gomes emphasised, recalling the example of Olympic champion Rosa Mota, and highlighting the objective of "ensuring equity and sporting truth."

She added: "The women's category exists precisely to allow female athletes to compete under conditions of fairness, recognising the biological differences that, in certain sports, have a measurable impact on competitive outcome and safety."

In the arguments used to justify the new measures, which are not retroactive, the IOC recalled that there are "advantages in individual performance" for the male gender in sports that "depend on strength, power and/or endurance."

Despite the new rules, the COP does not forget that "sport must continue to evolve as a space for inclusion," arguing that "all people have a place in sport, even if competitive models may require specific criteria to ensure sporting fairness."

In turn, IOC President Kirsty Coventry warned that "all athletes must be treated with dignity and respect," therefore, "medical examinations should only be carried out once in a lifetime."

According to the IOC, the new eligibility policy "promotes fairness, safety and integrity for the women's category" in the Olympic Games, in line with the executive order of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, the host country of the next edition of the world's most important sporting competition.