World Athletics has introduced a once‑off genetic test for female athletes competing in elite competitions, including the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo beginning September 13.
From September 1, athletes must pass an SRY gene test, via a cheek swab or dried blood‑spot sample, to prove they are “biologically female,” as defined by the presence or absence of a Y chromosome.
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Once passed, female athletes won’t need to do the test again.
Statement from World Athletics
“The philosophy that we hold dear in World Athletics is the protection and the promotion of the integrity of women's sport," World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said in a statement.
“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. It was always very clear to me and the World Athletics Council that gender cannot trump biology.
Background of the decision
The new testing policy builds on eligibility regulations enacted since 2018–2023 addressing transgender athletes and those with Differences in Sex Development (DSD).
In 2023, World Athletics banned transgender women who had undergone male puberty and lowered the testosterone limit for DSD athletes to 2.5 nmol/L across all women’s events.
A Gender Diverse Athlete Working Group launched a broad stakeholder consultation in February. It concluded that existing rules were not sufficiently precise to guard against potential biological advantages, noting that a pre‑clearance SRY test would strengthen fairness by verifying chromosomal sex before competition entry.
Historically, chromosome or "Barr body" testing was used by the IAAF from the 1960s until the mid‑1990s before being abolished amid medical and ethical criticism.
In recent years, high-profile cases - such as Caster Semenya and Namibian sprinters Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi - brought renewed focus to how DSD athletes are treated under eligibility rules.
The policy also follows recent scandals, including gender‑eligibility disputes at the Paris 2024 Olympics with boxer Imane Khelif.