This is an important information message explaining the new rules and regulations that will apply to female athletes as early as the 2025 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo, Japan.
2025 On 23 July, the World Athletics Council approved amendments to the rules and new implementing provisions that will enter into force on 1 September 2025. This report explains the origins of these rules, their application and the specific actions to be taken by national federations and athletes in preparation for the World Championships in Tokyo.
CONTEXT
The men’s and women’s categories are an essential part of the structure of athletics. Maintaining fair competition in the women’s category is a fundamental principle of athletics. After decades of research and observation, the 2019 findings found that 46 XY athletes who are androgen-sensitive and produce male testosterone levels have a significant advantage over 46 XX female athletes. This advantage persists even after testosterone levels are reduced, and applies to all androgen-sensitive 46 XY athletes, including those with sexual developmental differences (SARS). DSD).
When the eligibility rules for the female category (athletes with DSD) and the eligibility rules for transgender athletes (transgender athletes) were approved in March 2023. A working group on gender diversity in sport was set up. This group was tasked with monitoring developments in law, science, sport and society and making recommendations on their impact on World Athletics programmes, eligibility rules and educational initiatives.
Human rights experts also stressed the importance of protecting the rights of female athletes, advocating for exclusive categories of women and non-invasive methods of gender screening. Polls show growing hostility to the participation of XY athletes in the women’s category.
WORLD ATHLETICS APPROACH
World Athletics aims to provide all athletes with equal opportunities to participate in sports and achieve the highest results. Fair and meaningful competition conditions are essential to motivate athletes to strive for the highest level of excellence and inspire future generations. As already mentioned, athletics is divided into categories of men and women (according to biological sex).
The category of female athletes is dedicated to three main purposes:
Formal gender equality in the competition programme: equal number of quotas, prize opportunities, prize pool and recognition.
Recognition of excellence by honoring the fastest, strongest and most talented women in every race – together with their male counterparts.
Empowering women and girls around the world through visible champions and competitions to fight discrimination and promote gender equality.
For the women’s category to remain fair and meaningful, World Athletics requires eligibility to be based on biological sex. Female athletes whose biological sex is male will not be eligible to participate in the female category, unless they are completely insensitive to androgens.
THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGES TO THE RULES
Confirmation of the purpose of the female category.
Suitability by biological sex.
SRY Gene Testing Requirement.
NEW ELIGIBILITY PROCEDURE
The SRY test is performed once in a lifetime. It shows if there is an SRY gene in the body, which is located on the Y chromosome. The absence of this gene indicates that the athlete is biologically female.
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