World Athletics has approved a new cheek swab test to confirm if an athlete is biologically female. The decision was announced on Tuesday by the federation’s president, Sebastian Coe.
Coe described the test as a crucial step in protecting the integrity of women’s sports. “This is about ensuring fairness in female competitions,” he said after the World Athletics Council meeting in Nanjing, China.
The swab test, which is expected to be in place before the outdoor World Championships in Tokyo this September, is designed to be a simple, non-intrusive procedure. It will only need to be taken once in an athlete’s career.
The test will check for the SRY gene, which is usually found on the male Y chromosome and serves as a highly accurate marker for biological sex.
Coe acknowledged the possibility of legal challenges but remained firm on the decision. “We have defended our DSD (difference of sex development) regulations in court and won. We will continue to protect the female category,” he stated.
World Athletics is also considering other methods, such as blood spot tests, to support the verification process.
During his recent campaign for the International Olympic Committee presidency, Coe warned that failing to protect the female category could harm women’s sports. He finished third in the election, which was won by Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry.
