Transgender people will no longer be allowed to compete in women’s athletics, regardless of their testosterone levels.
Briton Sebastian Coe, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, said on Thursday that transgender athletes who have reached puberty will not be allowed to compete in women’s world-class competitions from March 31.
Speaking after the meeting of the IAAF, now renamed World Athletics, Coe said World Athletics has consulted with stakeholders including 40 national federations, the International Olympic Committee and transgender groups on the issue of transgender athletes.
“The majority of those surveyed were of the opinion that transgender athletes should not compete in the women’s category,” the president of World Athletics added, noting that “many feel there is insufficient evidence that transgender women do not retain advantages over biological women.” and want (who was consulted) to provide more evidence of lack of physical advantage before considering female inclusion.
Briton Sebastian Coe emphasized that “the decision we made … I think was in the interests of our sport.”
Sebastian Coe said a transgender-chaired task force would be set up to continue to monitor scientific developments: “We don’t say no forever. Decisions are always difficult when they involve conflicting needs and rights between different groups, but we continue to take the position,” he said, “that fairness for (biologically female) female athletes must be maintained above all other considerations.”
The same representative continued, “We will be guided in this by the science of physical performance and male advantage (physical) that will inevitably develop in the coming years. As more data becomes available, we will reconsider our position, but we believe that the integrity of the women’s category in athletics is paramount.”
The IFRC said in a statement that it has become apparent that there is “little support in sport” for the proposed option by stakeholders to allow transgender athletes to compete in international women’s competition, provided their testosterone levels are below 2.5 nanomole/l (nmol). y per liter of blood) for 24 months.
“Currently, there are no transgender athletes competing internationally in athletics. As a result, there is no evidence of these athletes having an impact on the integrity of competition in women’s athletics,” he stressed. that is, before allowing transgender people to compete in international women’s competitions.
The IAAF followed in the footsteps of the International Swimming Federation, which banned transgender swimmers who had reached male puberty from competing in elite women’s competitions.
In 2020, the International Rugby Federation became the first international sports federation to decide to ban transgender people from competing between men and women in women’s elite and global competition.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has also amended the rules regarding athletes who are classified as DSD, which means they have a sexual developmental disorder.
South African Caster Semenya, who won two Olympic golds in the 800 meters, is the most famous athlete in this category.
Under the new rules, in order to be eligible to compete in the women’s category, athletes in that category must reduce the amount of testosterone in their blood to less than 2.5 nanomoles per liter, down from the current level of five, with the need to stay below that limit for two years instead of the period currently applicable.
The average testosterone level in women ranges from 0.5 to 2.4 nmol/L.
The International Federation has expanded its control over the “DSD” category, which was limited to races from 400 meters to the mile, to include all other competitions, meaning that the regulations now apply to all competitions and not to those that were previously controlled.
Source: “Wakalat”