KUALA LUMPUR — Coming soon, female athletes will be required to undergo a one-time genetic test to compete in women’s events, following a proposal put forward by World Athletics, its president Sebastian Coe announced yesterday.
The governing body for track and field and road running is set to draft new regulations and identify a testing provider capable of carrying out the non-invasive genetic screening, which will involve either a cheek swab or a dry blood spot analysis.
Athletes will only need to take the test once in their careers to confirm the absence of the SRY gene, which determines male sex in humans and most mammals.
The debate over eligibility in women’s events has persisted in athletics and other sports, particularly concerning biological advantages linked to transgender athletes and those with differences of sex development (DSD).
Under current World Athletics regulations, transgender women who have gone male puberty are barred from competing in female categories.
Meanwhile, female DSD athletes with naturally high testosterone levels must medically reduce them to be eligible.
However, a working group reviewing these determined last month that they were insufficient, concluding that individuals born male may retain advantages over those born female, even without experiencing male puberty.
Among the group’s recommendations was the introduction of pre-clearance testing for the SRY gene as part of revised eligibility criteria.
“The pre-clearance testing will be for athletes to be able to compete in the female category,” Coe told reporters according to foreign media.
“The process is very straightforward, frankly very clear, and it’s an important one. We will look for a testing provider, we will work on the timelines, and the tests will only need to be done once in the career life of an athlete.”
Coe expressed confidence that the revised regulations would withstand legal scrutiny.
“We’ll doggedly protect the female category and do whatever it takes to do it.” — March 26, 2025