The participation of transgender athletes in elite sport has been pushed into the spotlight in recent months, with New Zealand weightlifting Laurel Hubbard poised to become the first openly trans woman to compete at the Olympic Games since the current IOC consensus statement was published in 2015.

Hubbard is due to compete in the women’s over-87-kilogram competition on Monday (August 2) and has welcomed the opportunity to participate.

"The Olympics are a global celebration of our hopes, our ideals and our values," Hubbard said in a statement released by the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

"I commend the IOC for its commitment to making sport inclusive and accessible."

Hubbard has complied with existing regulations, which includes athletes being required to demonstrate their total testosterone level in serum has been below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months prior to their first competition.

An athlete's total testosterone level in serum must remain below 10 nmol/L throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category.

Compliance with the conditions may be monitored by testing, with non-compliance leading to eligibility to compete in events being suspended for 12 months.

The IOC held a consultation process to devise a new framework but confirmed last year that existing guidelines remained in place for Tokyo 2020 as qualification was underway for the Olympic Games at the time.

Budgett said the new framework would not have a sole focus on testosterone, with safety among the considerations when determining guidelines for International Federations.

"I absolutely accept that things move on," Budgett said.

"At the time, the 10 nanomoles per litre was set because we thought that was the lower level for men.

"We know now that they go down to seven and women can be higher as well.

"Agreeing on another number is almost impossible and possibly irrelevant.

"You can debate that endlessly.

"The new framework will definitely include, as well as the importance of fairness, the importance of safety.

"When you are looking at safety, you have to be more careful.

"You have a responsibility for all the athletes."

The IOC has defended encouraging International Federations to devise their own regulations.

The organisation has insisted an overarching policy would not be effective due to the differing characteristics and safety deliberations each sport has to make.

Budgett said the IOC wanted to develop a route to assist IFs, with the latest framework expected to include data research and the latest information in the scientific and human rights sectors.

The IOC medical and scientific director added more research was required but stressed he believed the threat of transgender athletes to women’s sport had been overstated.

"If you don’t want to take any risks at all that anyone might have an advantage, then you just stop everybody," Budgett said.

"If you are prepared to extrapolate from the evidence there is, consider the fact there have been no openly transgender women at the top level until now, I think the threat to women’s sport has probably been overstated.

"It is very reasonable for IFs to look at their sports and what sort of advantage there is, so they can mitigate that and make it a fair and level playing field and then prioritise inclusion.

"I think it is up to the whole international sports movement and particularly the IFs to make sure they do protect women’s sport.

"The other important thing to remember is that trans women are women.

"You have got to include all women if you possibly can.

"I think it is something science will help and experience will help with to ensure all women have the chance to compete at the very highest level."

World Athletics introduced its own guidelines in 2019, which require transgender athletes to be less than five nmol/L to participate in events.

The International Cycling Union announced it would mirror the policy in the organisation’s events.

World Rugby last year approved updated guidelines, with the governing body concluding transgender women should not play women's contact rugby.

A review deemed allowing trans women to compete in women's rugby could lead to injuries due to "physiological differences".

Some National Associations expressed opposition to the rules introduced by the governing body.

Canada Rugby said it would maintain its existing national policies.

Budgett suggested this could become more common, with the elite level placing a greater emphasis on fairness and safety, while National Federations may have a greater focus towards inclusion.

“It may be the right thing to do in many sports, because it is as the most elite level in their case that they are concerned about safety," Budgett said. 

“As you come down from that level you can start to prioritise inclusion more than safety.

“You can understand it.

“I think the legal element to this as well, they have really prioritised safety.

“I understand from World Rugby that it just applies to their events, it does not apply to national federations.

“National federations can adapt the rules to increase inclusion as they want or as they feel is safe.”