World Athletics has established new guidelines for female eligibility in track and field, implementing a gene test requirement for athletes competing at elite levels. Athletes must pass this test by September 1, 2024, to be eligible for the upcoming World Championships, which will commence on September 13, 2024, in Tokyo.
In March, the governing body announced that chromosome testing would be necessary for female athletes to compete. The testing can be performed through cheek swabs or dry blood-spot analyses. The upcoming regulations aim to bring greater clarity surrounding eligibility criteria, which have been the subject of contentious debate since Caster Semenya, a celebrated South African athlete, secured her first 800 meters world title as a teenager in 2009.
Semenya recently achieved a significant legal victory at the European Court of Human Rights, where it was determined that she did not receive a fair hearing regarding the earlier version of eligibility rules affecting athletes with medical conditions categorized as “differences in sex development” (DSD). While this ruling was a pivotal moment for the athlete, it did not succeed in overturning the existing rules governing track and field eligibility.
Previously, World Athletics had implemented regulations in 2018 that required Semenya and other athletes with DSD to lower their natural testosterone levels to compete in international female events. Semenya has notably declined to undergo hormonal treatment to comply with these requirements.
Now, with the new protocols in place, World Athletics has stated that a one-time gene test will determine whether an athlete possesses a Y chromosome, thereby classifying them as biologically male. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe reinforced this directive, affirming that to compete in the female category at an elite level, athletes must be biologically female.
To facilitate this process, World Athletics is funding up to 0 of the testing costs, with oversight provided by national federations. Results from these tests are expected within a two-week timeframe. The governing body has emphasized the accuracy of the SRY test, asserting that the likelihood of false results is minimal.
Furthermore, the organization has harmonized its eligibility criteria for DSD and transgender athletes, permitting a limited number of DSD athletes to continue competing if they are undergoing treatment to manage their testosterone levels. However, the transitional provisions currently do not extend to transgender women.
As Caster Semenya, now 34, prepares for her ongoing legal battles regarding these regulations, the discussions surrounding athlete eligibility continue to evolve in the realm of international athletics.
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