World Athletics has introduced a new policy requiring all female competitors to undergo mandatory sex testing before being allowed to participate in events, in a move that reignites the debate surrounding transgender inclusion in sport.
Under the new guidelines, the international governing body will verify whether athletes have experienced male puberty or possess a difference in sex development (DSD) that may offer what are termed “testosterone advantages.” The changes are presented as part of World Athletics’ campaign to “protect women’s sports.”
World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe confirmed that all athletes aiming to compete in female categories across disciplines such as track and field, cross country, and mountain running will need to complete pre-clearance testing.
“This we feel is a really important way of providing confidence and maintaining that absolute focus on the integrity of competition,” Lord Coe stated. “The process is very straightforward frankly, very clear and it’s an important one and we will work on the timelines.”
He emphasised that the tests would not be invasive, with procedures like cheek swabs or dry blood samples being used to assess testosterone levels.
“Neither of these are invasive,” Coe added. “They are necessary and they will be done to absolute medical standards.”
The policy arrives amid ongoing global discourse about the future of transgender athlete participation, especially ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The topic has gained renewed attention following former US President Donald Trump’s recent comments affirming a binary view of sex, stating there are only “two sexes – male and female.”
While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has previously adopted an inclusive stance, its incoming president, Kirsty Coventry, has expressed a desire to ensure female athletes are protected in competition.
Speaking to Sky News following her appointment, Coventry, a retired Olympic swimmer, said she had not ruled out potential trans-exclusionary measures: “I want to sit down and try and come up with a collective way forward for all of us to move.”
These moves come despite a study supported by the IOC, published in April 2024 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which argued that trans women do not inherently hold a competitive advantage. The research underscored the nuanced nature of the issue, noting that in many cases, transgender athletes may face disadvantages when compared to cisgender competitors.
