Deadline for gene testing looms

Athletes who aim to compete in female events at World Athletics Championships have a month.

- By Craig Ray

World Athletics has set a timeline for the introduction of gene testing for the female category, which will be compulsory for athletes aiming to compete at ranking competitions.

Only athletes who have undertaken a one-off test for the SRY gene will be eligible for competition in the female category at elite events. This gene is found on the Y chromosome, which is typically present in males.

The new regulation will come into effect on 1 September. The 2025 World Athletics Championships take place in Tokyo from 13 to 21 September, and female athletes must have taken the test by then.

World Athletics said the SRY gene test is “a reliable proxy for determining biological sex” and will be conducted “via a cheek swab or blood test, whichever is more convenient”.

In the short term, World Athletics will rely on individual federations, such as Athletics South Africa, to conduct the testing. The global body will contribute up to $100 to fund each test. Results will take between one and two weeks to process, meaning female athletes need to start doing the tests immediately.

In future, World Athletics will centralise the testing, which it says is “extremely accurate and the risk of false negative or positive is extremely unlikely”.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said: “The philosophy that we hold dear in World Athletics is the protection and the promotion of the integrity of women’s sport.