The world’s athletics chief says in a debate over the inclusion of trans athletes, the rules support the integrity of women’s sports.
Athletics will be the first Olympic sport to require participants at a female event to undergo DNA testing following decisions by world athletics.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said Wednesday that the Athletics Governing Body agreed to introduce tests to “set an absolute focus on the integrity of competition.”
“It’s important to do that, especially recently, not just talking about the integrity of women’s sports, but actually ensuring it,” Coe told reporters after a two-day meeting of the Council of Governance Associations held in Nanjing, China on Tuesday.
“And I feel this is a truly important way to provide confidence and maintain an absolute focus on competitive integrity.”
Coe, a former Olympic medalist middle di stance runner, said the body had made the decision following “a thorough review” and consultation with more than 70 sports and advocacy groups.
“Actually, the view has returned that this is an absolute way to go,” Koh said.
Earlier this month, he made a failed bid to lead the International Olympic Committee, but said his competitors will be subject to non-invasive cheek swabs and dry blood spot tests, which will only be checked once in their carriers.
“We stubbornly protect the female category and do whatever it takes to do it. We’re not just talking about it,” he said.
The decision is the latest turn of intense debate over the participation of trans women and gender-incompatible athletes in female sports.
World Athletics in 2023 announced the ban on transgender women who have experienced male adolescents and holds a review of eligibility requirements for female competition participants.
The move overturned previous rules that allow trans women to compete if they maintain blood testosterone levels below 5nmol/L for the previous 12 months.
Although it is largely intended for athletes with gender changes, the testing requirements for World Athletics also affect a small number of competitors born with atypical sex chromosomes.
World athletics decisions come shortly after similar moves by several major sports organizations, including the National College Athletic Association, the leading governing body of aquatic life around the world and the American College Sports Association.
The International Olympic Committee, which oversees the performance of the 2028 match in Los Angeles, allowed trans athletes to compete since 2004, but ultimately adheres to eligibility rules set by individual sports organizations.
Beyond the world of sports, this issue has become a lightning bolt of the broader culture wars taking place in the United States and other Western countries.
Last month, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to deny federal funding to educational institutions that allow trans girls and women to participate in women’s sports and use changing rooms for women.
A New York Times/Ipsos poll published in January found that 79% of Americans said trans women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports, starting from 62% in 2021.
Source link
