World Athletics bans transgender women from female sporting events

South African middle-distance runner and 2016 Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya is no longer eligible to compete. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)

World Athletics Council (WAC), the governing body for athletic events worldwide, yesterday, voted to ban transgender women from elite female competitions if they have undergone male puberty. The governing body said the decision was taken to “protect the future of the female category”.

Speaking after the ruling, which comes into effect on 31 March, World Athletics president, Seb Coe, accepted that the decision would be contentious but said his sport had been guided by the “overarching principle” of fairness, as well as the science around physical performance and male advantage. “We believe the integrity of the female category in athletics is paramount.”

However, Coe also stressed that he would set up a working group that would consult with transgender athletes and review any fresh research that emerged. “We’re not saying no forever,” he said.

Sports have been increasingly wrestling with the thorny issue of transgender participation in recent years, notably when New Zealand weightlifter, Laurel Hubbard, qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, having transitioned in her 30s.

Since Tokyo, most sports have opted to allow trans women to compete if they lower their testosterone to 5 nanomoles per litre for 12 months. However emerging science showing that transgender women retain an advantage in strength, endurance, power, lung capacity, even after suppressing testosterone, had led World Athletics to propose a lower testosterone limit for at least 24 months in January.

Coe said there was “little support” for such a policy, with athletes and federations making it clear they wanted to prioritise