World Athletics to Enforce Gene Testing for Female Athletes

• Jul 31, 2025

Starting September 1, athletes competing in the female category at global ranking events must undergo a one-time gene test.

World Athletics, the international governing body for track and field, has announced a new regulation requiring athletes to take a genetic test to confirm eligibility for the female category. The policy will take effect from September 1, 2025, and apply to all World Athletics-sanctioned competitions, including the World Championships in Tokyo from September 13 to 21.

The test detects the SRY gene, which is found on the Y chromosome and is responsible for initiating male physical development. It can be done using either a cheek swab or a blood sample.

Athletes who test negative for the Y chromosome will be allowed to compete in the female category at world-ranking events. Those who test positive will not be eligible but can still compete in non-ranking events or in a different competition category. This will be a one-time, lifetime test managed by national athletics federations.

World Athletics President Lord Sebastian Coe said the goal is to ensure fair competition and protect opportunities for women in the sport. “It is really important in a sport that is permanently trying to attract more women that they enter believing there is no biological glass ceiling,” he said.

The SRY gene test was approved by World Athletics in March as part of efforts to strengthen eligibility rules for transgender athletes and those with differences of sex development (DSD). The decision follows scientific findings that testosterone suppression alone does not fully eliminate male athletic advantages.

In 2023, World Athletics banned transgender women who had gone through male puberty from participating in the female category at international level. A working group later recommended merging transgender and DSD regulations to streamline eligibility criteria.

Currently, DSD athletes must keep testosterone levels below a specific threshold for at least six months before they can compete in female international events.

Earlier this month, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favour of South African runner Caster Semenya, stating her right to a fair trial was violated in a 2020 appeal. Semenya, who was born with DSD, has not competed in her main 800m event since 2019 due to existing testosterone rules.

While the ruling was against the Swiss government—not World Athletics—it has reignited global debate around eligibility, fairness, and inclusion in women’s sports.