90% pass gene test as Tokyo worlds loom

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe is confident that all female athletes at this year's world championships in Tokyo will have undergone gene testing, after snags left some of them scrambling to meet the Sept 1 deadline.

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Athletes who arrive at the Sept 13-21 global event without having being tested can complete the process in the Japanese capital.

“Although the vast majority of athletes will have been tested before they get to Tokyo ... if there are outstanding athletes that still haven't been tested, we have the ability to do that in Tokyo — but that is by no means an invitation for member federations to wait until they get to Tokyo,’ Coe said on a video call on Thursday.

World Athletics approved the introduction of the test to determine if an athlete is biologically female at its council meeting in March.

The testing process has, however, not been all smooth sailing.