Starting September 1, World Athletics will implement a new eligibility requirement for global athletics competitions. Female athletes who wish to compete in the women’s category, including the World Championships in Tokyo, will be required to undergo a one-time test to detect the SRY gene, which plays a key role in determining biological sex. The test can be carried out using either a blood sample or a simple cheek swab and will be overseen by member federations.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe defended the measure, stating, “In a sport that aims to attract more women, it is important that they can compete knowing there is no biological ceiling. The test to confirm biological sex is a crucial step to ensure that. We are saying that, at the elite level, to compete in the women’s category, you must be biologically female.”
Strengthened controls in the women’s category
The global athletics governing body emphasized that the new protocol will not affect the men’s categories and that it will only be required once. “It was always very clear to me and to the World Athletics Council that gender cannot override biology. We want to thank our member federations for their support and commitment to enforcing this rule,” Coe added.
This change follows years of debate over eligibility criteria in women’s events, particularly concerning transgender athletes and those with differences of sexual development (DSD). Currently, World Athletics bans transgender women who have undergone male puberty from competing in female events and requires DSD athletes to lower their testosterone levels in order to participate.
The cases of World Boxing and Caster Semenya
The new regulation stems from the findings of a working group established earlier this year. The group concluded that the existing rules were not strict enough and recommended the SRY gene test as one of its key measures. This gene reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, which is considered a determining marker of biological sex.
The verification procedure gained further support in May, when World Boxing approved a similar system for boxing, introducing mandatory sex testing for all boxers.
The regulatory update also comes amid a legal backdrop involving Caster Semenya. Earlier this month, the European Court confirmed a 2023 ruling stating that the double Olympic 800-meter champion’s appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal had not been properly examined. Semenya had challenged World Athletics’ regulations requiring DSD athletes to reduce their testosterone levels in order to compete.
