New Regulations Aim to Ensure Biological Sex Alignment and Level the Playing Field

World Athletics has announced a new set of regulations that will require female athletes to undergo a one-time gene test to confirm their biological sex. The test, which can be conducted via a cheek swab or blood test, will determine the presence of the SRY gene, which is an indicator of biological sex. The new regulations, which come into effect on September 1, aim to address concerns over biological advantages for transgender athletes and those with differences of sex development (DSD).

According to World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, the new regulations are designed to ensure that female athletes enter the sport believing that there is no biological glass ceiling. “We are saying, at elite level, for you to compete in the female category, you have to be biologically female,” Coe said. “It was always very clear to me and the World Athletics Council that gender cannot trump biology.”

The new regulations are a result of years of debate over eligibility criteria for women’s events. World Athletics currently bans transgender women who have gone through male puberty from competing in women’s events, while it requires female DSD athletes whose bodies produce high testosterone levels to lower them in order to be eligible. A working group found that these rules were not tight enough, leading to the introduction of a pre-clearance test for the SRY gene.

The SRY gene test was also approved by World Boxing in May, when they introduced mandatory sex testing for all boxers. This move follows a recent court ruling in the European Court that upheld a 2023 ruling that barred Caster Semenya, a double 800m Olympic champion, from competing due to regulations that barred female athletes with DSDs from competing unless they medically reduce their testosterone levels.

The new regulations have been welcomed by World Athletics’ member federations, which will oversee the testing protocol. The regulations are set to take effect in time for the world championships in Tokyo this month. The move is seen as a significant step towards ensuring fair competition in women’s events, and comes after years of controversy over the issue.

The introduction of the SRY gene test is a significant development in the ongoing debate over eligibility criteria for women’s events. The test is designed to ensure that athletes competing in women’s events are biologically female, and will help to level the playing field for women athletes.

World Athletics has been debating eligibility criteria for women’s events for years, with the current rules banning transgender women who have gone through male puberty from competing in women’s events. The current rules also require female DSD athletes whose bodies produce high testosterone levels to lower them in order to be eligible. A working group found that these rules were not tight enough, leading to the introduction of a pre-clearance test for the SRY gene.

The European Court has also weighed in on the issue, upholding a 2023 ruling that barred Caster Semenya from competing due to regulations that barred female athletes with DSDs from competing unless they medically reduce their testosterone levels. The new regulations are seen as a significant step towards ensuring fair competition in women’s events, and come after years of controversy over the issue.

The implementation of the SRY gene test is expected to be overseen by World Athletics’ member federations, which will ensure that the testing protocol is carried out fairly and consistently. The regulations are set to take effect in time for the world championships in Tokyo this month, and are expected to have a significant impact on the sport of track and field.