World Athletics Requires Genetic Testing for Female Athletes

World Athletics has announced the introduction of a one-time genetic testing requirement for female athletes to ensure fair competition in the women's category. The policy, approved during a recent council meeting in Nanjing, will utilize cheek swabs or dried blood samples to test for the presence of the Y chromosome and the SRY gene, a marker associated with biological sex. Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, emphasized the importance of this measure in maintaining the integrity of women's sports, particularly in light of the organization's previous ban on transgender athletes who transitioned from male to female after male puberty. The testing aims to merge regulations for transgender athletes and those with Differences in Sex Development (DSD), which require testosterone levels to be below a specified threshold for eligibility. While the tests are set to be implemented, it remains uncertain if they will be in place by the upcoming World Championships. Coe has called for a unified approach from the International Olympic Committee on gender eligibility rules, rather than allowing individual sports to create their own guidelines.