World Athletics to Require Women to Take Gene Test

Who can compete as a woman in elite athletics? It'll come down to a test for the SRY gene, World Athletics announced on Wednesday. Starting September 1, the governing sports body will require that female competitors clear a one-time SRY gene test—conducted via cheek swab or blood sample, it reveals whether the Y chromosome is present, reports Reuters. The move comes as the organization aims to solidify standards around eligibility and will impact the World Athletics Championships, which run from September 13-21 in Tokyo, reports the BBC.

Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, made the case for the move: "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. 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."

The decision follows years of heated debate about fairness in women's athletics—particularly concerning transgender athletes and those with differences of sex development (DSD). Under current protocols, transgender women who underwent male puberty are barred from women's events, and DSD athletes with high testosterone must medically reduce their levels to qualify. However, a recent working group found these measures insufficient, recommending the SRY gene test to tighten oversight. The BBC notes that in cases of a positive test, the athlete may compete in non-world ranking competitions or in a category other than female.