World Athletics has sanctioned implementing a one-time genetic test for elite competitors aiming to participate in the women’s category at international competitions.
The “pre-clearance requirement” is one of several suggestions approved during the World Athletics Council meeting to enhance regulations concerning the eligibility of transgender athletes and those with differences of sex development (DSD).
Athletes will be required to undergo a test for the SRY gene, which is “nearly always present on the male Y chromosome” and serves as a highly reliable indicator of biological sex, to be performed only once in their lifetime.
A cheek swab will be employed to detect the SRY gene, while a dried blood spot test may also be utilized to assess an athlete’s testosterone levels alongside checking for the presence of the SRY gene.
Lord Coe, the governing body’s president, said that this decision further exemplifies World Athletics’ commitment to safeguarding the women’s category.
In March 2023, World Athletics prohibited transgender athletes who have experienced male puberty from competing in the female category at international events.
However, last month, a World Athletics working group proposed modifications to the eligibility regulations for male-to-female transgender athletes, citing new evidence indicating a “significant performance gap before the onset of puberty.”
Currently, the rules for DSD athletes necessitate lowering their testosterone levels beneath 2.5 nmol/L for a minimum of six months to be eligible for international events in any female category.
World Athletics will now consolidate the guidelines for both DSD and transgender athletes following the working group’s assertion that testosterone suppression can “only ever partially counteract the overall male advantage in the sport of athletics.”
World Athletics said the provider, process, and timeline for the pre-clearance SRY test will be finalised soon.
Coe made it a priority to protect the eligibility of the women’s category as a fundamental aspect of his campaign for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee.
Nonetheless, he placed third in the IOC election earlier this month, while Kirsty Coventry secured 49 of the 97 available votes, becoming the first female and African president.
