World Athletics' mandatory genetic test for women athletes is misguided.I should know - I discovered the relevant gene in 1990

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe recently announced a new rule for women athletes, requiring mandatory genetic tests to verify their biological sex.

- BY ANDREW SINCLAIR

This test must be done if athletes wish to compete in September's World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

World Athletics has said all athletes competing as women must have an SRY gene test to identify whether a male Y chromosome is present. As the SRY gene is found on the Y chromosome, it is effectively a proxy for the Y chromosome.

Any athlete whose test shows the presence of the SRY gene will be banned from competing in the women's category in elite events.

However if the athlete has a condition called Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS), they may be able to qualify for an exemption.

Coe said the decision was made to ensure "the integrity of women's sport" with World Athletics asserting: "The SRY gene is a reliable proxy for determining biological sex." I argue the science does not support this overly simplistic assertion.

I should know, because I discovered the SRY gene on the human Y chromosome in 1990. For 35 years I have been researching it and other genes required for testis development.

A BRIEF PRIMER ON TESTES AND OVARY DEVELOPMENT

If a human embryo has XY chromosomes, then at six weeks of development the SRY gene on the Y chromosome triggers a cascade of events involving some 30 different genes that lead to the formation of testes.

In simplest terms, the testes then produce hormones including testosterone, leading to male development.