Monaco: World Athletics has voted to prohibit transgender women who have reached male puberty from participating in elite female competitions. The rule, which takes effect on March 31, was adopted to “protect the future of the female category.”

Mr. Seb Coe, President of World Athletics, acknowledged that the decision would be contentious, but stated that his sport was guided by the “overarching principle” of fairness, as well as the science of physical performance and male advantage.

“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,” he said. “We believe the integrity of the female category in athletics is paramount.”

However, Mr. Coe also stated that he would form a working group to consult with transgender athletes and review any new research that comes to light. “We’re not saying no forever,” the President remarked.

“We entered into a consultation some months ago because we wanted to provoke debate. It was really important that we hear from all our stakeholders, including the athletes, coaches, and member federations. And my goodness, we heard from them,” Mr. Coe further added.

Since Tokyo, the majority of sports have allowed trans women to compete if their testosterone levels are reduced to 5 nanomoles per litre for a period of 12 months.However, new research indicating that transgender women retain an advantage in strength, endurance, power, and lung capacity even after testosterone suppression prompted World Athletics to propose a lower testosterone limit for at least 24 months in January.

In recent years, sports have been grappling with the difficult issue of transgender participation, most notably when New Zealand weightlifter Ms. Laurel Hubbard qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after transitioning in her 30s.

Athletics becomes the latest sport to ban transgender women from female sport, following World Rugby in 2020 and World Swimming and the Rugby Football League in 2022.

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