Far from resolved: Debate rages following World Athletics' ban on trans athletes in elite female sport

World Athletics says its decision this week to ban transgender women from competing in elite female sport is based on the "overarching need to protect the female category."

But the organization's president Sebastian Coe says the move to exclude trans athletes who have gone through male puberty is about more than that. Coe says the move is about fairness over inclusion, and comes after months of being "inundated" by stakeholders that no other alternative would be acceptable.

"We entered into a consultation some months ago because we wanted to provoke debate," Coe told a worldwide audience. "It was really important that we heard from all our stakeholders, including the athletes, the coaches and member federations.

"Female athletes, coaches, our member federations; they were absolutely clear that at this point there was absolutely no way that we should be including transgender athletes in elite competition in the female category," Coe said.

Few athletes have been willing to weigh in publicly on this issue, but some did on social media.

Olympian and marathon runner Mara Yamauchi tweeted: "Good news! Odd to celebrate something which is common sense."

Under previous rules, transgender women could compete in the female category as long as their testosterone levels were below five nanomoles per litre over a one-year period.

Critics and an emerging body of research suggest that beyond testosterone levels, male puberty triggers skeletal and cardiovascular advantages that can't be mitigated or reversed by suppressing testosterone.

"Athletes that have male biology moving into the female category are going to run the risk of damaging the integrity of that category and the integrity of competitions," Coe said.

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