Transgender Women Banned From Participating in Female Events by World Athletics

World Athletics claimed the decision was taken to maintain fairness for female athletes.

World Athletics announced a ban on transgender athletes from competing in female categories.

(Photo: iStock)

World Athletics, the apex international athletics governing body, has banned transgender women from competing in the female categories, across all international events. According to the new directive, any transgender female who has undergone ‘male puberty’ will not be allowed to enlist in the female categories.

World Athletics has claimed that the decision is taken with the intention of ‘maintaining fairness’ for the female athletes, whilst a group has been formed to conduct subsequent research about the plausibility of transgender inclusion in female events.

The research group will constitute one transgender athlete, alongside representatives from the council, the Athletes’ Commission, the World Athletics’ member federations, and the World Athletics health & science department. It is also been decided that the group will have an independent chair.

Explaining the decision, the governing body’s president, Lord Coe stated “Decisions are always difficult when they involve conflicting needs and rights between different groups, but we continue to take the view that we must maintain fairness for female athletes above all other considerations.”

The previous version of transgender inclusivity guidelines required all transgender females to lower their testosterone level to 5 nanomoles per litre, and stay within that mark for a period of 12 months, to be eligible for participation in female categories. However, the governing body has decided to amend the rules amid ongoing debates.

Barring that, World Athletics has also issued stringer restrictions pertaining to Differences in Sex Development (DSD) guidelines. As opposed to the previous regulations, wherein the maximum plasma testosterone level for athletes was 5 nanomoles per litre, the new guidelines have set the ceiling at 2.5 nanomoles per litre.

World Athletics Join Rugby, Aquatics Federations

World Athletics joins World Rugby, World Aquatics and the Rugby Football League in banning transgender women from participating in female events. The aquatics governing body announced its decision in June 2022, only a couple of months after United States of America’s Lia Thomas became the first transgender woman to win the NCAA swimming championship.

The apex international cycling governing body, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has also found itself shrouded in debates, following a female cycling event in New York City last week, where transgender woman Tiffany Thomas emerged victorious.