World Association intensifies rules: genetic tests for women in athletics sports!

World Association intensifies rules: genetic tests for women in athletics sports!

Vienna, Österreich - On March 25, 2025, Sebastian Coe, head of the World Athletics Association, announced significant changes in the admission criteria for women's competitions in top light athletics. In the future, athletes will have to have a unique genetic test carried out in order to be able to take part in competitions in the women's category. This measure applies to both DSD athletes (atypical gender development) and transgender women who have already been excluded if they have undergone male puberty.

The World Association has also decided that athletes with various gender developments have to artificially lower their testosterone levels for at least two years. A prominent example of the effects of these regulations is Caster Semenya, the two -time Olympic champion over 800 meters. After comprehensive consultations, which also included 40 national associations, the IOC and trans groups, a working group came to the conclusion that the previous regulations were not strict enough.

regulations for transgender athletes

From March 31, 2025, transgender women may no longer participate in world ranking competitions in the women's category if they have undergone male puberty. According to Coe, most of the respondents spoke out for the fact that transgender athletes should not compete in the female category, since there is no sufficient evidence that they have no advantages over biological women. The existing framework should be checked continuously if new scientific knowledge is available.

The integrity of the female category in athletics is considered prioritarian. At the same time, World Athletics plans to set up a working group led by a transgender person in order to pursue developments in this area. Coe emphasized that the decision to tighten the rules was not final and could possibly be adapted to future evidence.

new guidelines of the IOC

In the context of these changes, it is important to point out the new regulations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). From March 2022, general guidelines were converted to flexible guidelines that enable every world association to decide on the participation of transgender athletes. The new IOC guidelines no longer provide uniform testosterone levels and emphasize the importance of inclusion and avoiding discrimination. However, there is also the demand that clear evidence must be available for any advantages in order to justify participation restrictions.

These developments raise important questions, especially for athletes such as Caster Semenya, who could not compete for international competition due to the existing regulations. Semenya sued the regulations of the World Athletics Association, but she lost to the International Sports Court. Your lawsuit is currently at the European Court of Human Rights.

The situation in athletics and the feedback from the athlete community are still observed and are the subject of intensive debates in sport. World Athletics currently sees no reason to revise its guidelines in the light of the new IOC guidelines, but remains open to new scientific evidence and developments in this complex topic.