World Athletics has officially approved the implementation of a cheek swab test to determine an athlete’s biological sex, in an effort to safeguard the integrity of female sports. The new measure, confirmed on Tuesday, is seen as a critical step toward ensuring fairness in women’s athletics.
Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, emphasized that the decision was a “really important” move to preserve the integrity of the female category in track and field. “It’s not just about discussing the integrity of women’s sport but actively guaranteeing it,” Coe said during a press conference following the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China. He stressed that this decision was driven by a desire to ensure fairness and maintain public confidence in the integrity of competition.
Coe also highlighted that the introduction of the swab test was the result of extensive consultation with various stakeholders, with the overwhelming consensus being in favor of the new procedure. Despite some concerns, he assured that the test was not designed to be intrusive, and he is confident that the policy would stand up to legal challenges.
“We’ve been through the Court of Arbitration regarding our DSD (difference of sex development) regulations, and they’ve been upheld, even after appeal. So we will continue to rigorously protect the female category and do whatever is necessary to do so,” Coe added.
This move is part of ongoing efforts to address complex issues surrounding gender eligibility in sports, with the goal of maintaining fair competition for all female athletes.
