World Athletics, led by President Sebastian Coe, will implement mandatory sex testing for athletes entering female competitions to safeguard the integrity of women’s sports.
The non-invasive testing, which may involve cheek swabs or dry blood tests conducted just once per athlete, aims to verify whether competitors have “transitioned” after male puberty or possess sex development differences that could result in testosterone advantages.
The decision comes two years after banning athletes assigned male at birth from female events and follows growing debates about gender eligibility in sports.
While the International Olympic Committee previously opposed sex testing, new leadership under Kirsty Coventry is open to discussing the issue.
This article was originally published by the Daily Telegraph New Zealand.
