Transgender and other athletes with differences of sex development (DSD) can kiss goodbye to racing with female competitors in World Athletics competitions after the governing body’s top council voted to preserve the integrity of female competitions.
During the 237th World Athletics Council Meeting in Nanjing, China, on 24-25 March, World Athletics came up with a raft of decisions that assertively shut the door for transgender and DSD athletes from ever competing with female athletes.
“Preserving the integrity of competition in the female category is a fundamental principle of the sport of athletics. The majority of stakeholders consulted last month on the proposed new eligibility conditions for the female category agreed that allowing only biological female athletes to compete in the female category was essential to maintaining fairness,” World Athletics said in a statement
On reviewing the consultation, the Council approved the recommendations from the Working Group on Gender Diverse Athletes to:
• Formally affirm the design of and goals for the female category.
• Revise the eligibility regulations so that they are consistent with the design and goals.
• Merge the DSD and Transgender Regulations and, if the effect is to restrict opportunities for DSD athletes, adopt measures to address the reliance interests of those who are currently in the pipeline.
• Adopt a pre-clearance requirement for all athletes competing in the female category.
• Consider forward initiatives, including to support elite gender diverse XY athletes
Over the next few weeks the new regulations will be drafted, and the pre-clearance SRY (a genetic surrogate for a Y chromosome) test provider, process and timeline will be agreed.
Any new DSD and Transgender Regulations will be implemented with the following standing commitments:
• World Athletics does not judge or question gender identity;
• World Athletics respects and preserves the dignity and privacy of individuals;
• World Athletics strictly observes confidentiality obligations and complies with data protection laws;
• World Athletics never has and never would impose any obligation to undergo surgery.
