The 2025 World Athletics Championship will take place in Tokyo, Japan
The World Athletics have served notice that all female athletes will undergo a compulsory test to ensure sensitive issues regarding the protection of female categories, transgender, and DSD (Difference of Sexual Development) are well-defined.
A Sky Sport report indicated that it will be a one-time gene test, also known as the SRY Test.
The test identifies the presence of the Y chromosome, responsible for the development of male characteristics, to determine an individual’s original biological sex.
Any athlete who tests positive will be ineligible to compete in the female category in world ranking events, including the World Championships.
This measure is to safeguard the integrity of the competition and the athletes.
World Athletics president, Sebastian Coe, noted that all female athletes will undertake the test before the track and field events take off in Tokyo, Japan.
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He also stated that his organization have invested about $100 per test in the process and added that the initiative has been going well since its institution.
“By and large, the process has gone pretty smoothly, but it’s not been without its challenges. The vast majority have been pretty straightforward, and we’ve made a contribution of about US$100 per test,” Coe said.
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Despite the progress, the law faces challenges in its implementation in France, where the SRY gene test is illegal due to a 1994 law banning DNA testing for non-medical and non-judicial purposes to protect family integrity.
The World Athletics Championship will take place from September 13 to 21, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.
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