World Athletics has approved the use of a cheek swab test to determine if an athlete is biologically female.
The decision was announced on Tuesday by the president of the International Track and Field Federation, Sebastian Coe, after the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.
Coe said the new test is an important step in protecting female athletes and ensuring fair competition.
“It’s important to do it because it maintains everything that we’ve been talking about, not just about the integrity of women’s sports, but actually guaranteeing it,” Coe stated.
He added that the decision was made after a wide consultation, and most experts supported the idea.
“Overwhelmingly, the view has come back that this is absolutely the way to go,” he said, explaining that the swab test is not intrusive.
Coe acknowledged that the new policy could face legal opposition but said World Athletics is ready to defend it.
“We’ve been to the Court of Arbitration on our DSD (difference of sex development) regulations. They have been upheld, and they have again been upheld after appeal,” he said.
He also stated that World Athletics will continue to protect the female category in sports, no matter the challenges.
The announcement comes a week after Coe finished third in the race to become the new president of the International Olympic Committee, a position won by Kirsty Coventry, a former Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe.
