World Athletics boss vows to 'doggedly' protect women's sports as cheek-swab tests introduced

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World Athletics on Tuesday approved cheek-swab tests to verify if an athlete is female, as Sebastian Coe, the organization’s president, vowed to protect women’s sports.

Coe said pre-clearance testing will be for athletes who want to compete in the female category. He called the process "very straightforward" and an issue that was "important" to him. He added that the tests are not invasive and was ready for any criticism that could come his way.

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Sebastian Coe speaks during a press conference following a presentation before their fellow IOC members in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Jan 30, 2025. (Fabrice Coffrini/Pool Photo via AP)

"Neither of these are invasive. They are necessary, and they will be done to absolutely international medical standards," he said during a media availability. "I wouldn’t have set off down this path in 2016, 2017 to protect the female category in sport if I’d been sort of anything other than prepared to take the challenge head on.

"We’ve been to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on our [difference of sexual development] DSD regulations. They’ve been upheld, and again they’ve been upheld after appeal. We will doggedly protect the female category and we’ll do whatever is necessary to do it. And we’re not just talking about it."

Coe stressed the importance of keeping women’s sports female.

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