World Athletics, the governing body for track and field, has announced a new rule that will require all female athletes to undergo DNA testing to ensure their biological sex matches the requirements for women’s events.
The move is designed to uphold the integrity of women’s competition and comes amid a heated debate surrounding the inclusion of transgender women in sports.
Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, revealed on Wednesday that the decision follows an exhaustive review and consultations with over 70 sporting and advocacy groups.
Coe stated that the new testing measures would involve non-invasive cheek swabs and dry blood-spot tests, which will only need to be conducted once in an athlete’s career.
The decision is a significant step in the ongoing controversy surrounding transgender athletes in women’s sports.
World Athletics has already banned transgender women who have gone through male puberty from competing in women’s events, a policy implemented in 2023.
“We will doggedly protect the female category and we will do whatever is necessary to do it, and we’re not just talking about it,” said Coe, a former Olympic medal-winning middle-distance runner. He emphasised that the testing would ensure fair competition and maintain confidence in women’s sports.
The DNA testing policy will also affect athletes born with atypical sex chromosomes, not just transgender women.
It follows similar actions taken by other sporting bodies, including World Aquatics and the NCAA in the United States.
Despite the intention to protect fairness, the decision is likely to spark further debate.
In recent months, the issue of transgender participation in women’s sports has become a focal point in the wider cultural and political debate, particularly in the United States.
Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that denies federal funding to educational institutions allowing trans girls and women to participate in female sports.
World Athletics’ move comes as other major sports organisations also wrestle with similar issues.
The International Olympic Committee, which oversees the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, has allowed transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports since 2004, but it defers to individual sporting bodies’ eligibility rules.