6 days ago
World Athletics Mandates One-Time Gene Test for Female Category Eligibility
World Athletics announced on Wednesday that athletes must undergo a one-time gene test to compete in the female category at elite world ranking competitions, including the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo.
Starting September 1, eligibility will require confirmation of the absence of the SRY gene, a marker of biological sex located on the Y chromosome. The test, conducted via cheek swab or blood, will be overseen by national athletics federations and applies to all athletes aiming to compete as female in sanctioned global events.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the measure aims to uphold 'the integrity of women's sport,' noting that 'gender cannot trump biology' at the elite level. The move comes after a working group determined existing regulations around sex development and transgender eligibility were insufficient.
Athletics' governing body already bans transgender women who have gone through male puberty from women's events and requires athletes with Differences of Sex Development (DSD) to medically lower testosterone levels to compete. The new SRY gene requirement adds another layer of enforcement.
The rule has drawn parallels with similar moves in boxing and follows ongoing legal challenges, including Olympic champion Caster Semenya's appeal of regulations requiring hormone suppression for DSD athletes. Earlier this month, a European court ruled that Semenya's 2020 appeal had not been fully heard, reopening scrutiny of athletics' sex eligibility policies.
