World Athletics announced a new regulation on July 30 that will require athletes to undergo a one-time genetic test to be eligible to compete in the female category at its world-ranking events in racing and track and field.
The policy, which takes effect Sept. 1, mandates testing for the SRY gene, a key marker located on the Y chromosome that determines male sex in humans and most mammals.
The testing protocol will apply to athletes in elite competitions overseen by World Athletics, including the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo. Athletes must complete the SRY test via a cheek swab or blood sample. National federations will be responsible for administering the process.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe defended the decision, calling it essential for safeguarding fairness in women’s sports.
“It is really important in a sport that is permanently trying to attract more women that they enter a sport believing there is no biological glass ceiling,” Coe said in a statement. “The test to confirm biological sex is a very important step in ensuring this is the case.
“We are saying, at elite level, for you to compete in the female category, you have to be biologically female,” he added.
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