Paris, France | BAZZUP | Global athletics governing body World Athletics announced on Thursday that it has barred transgender athletes from international participation and strengthened testosterone limitations for other athletes with different stages of sex development.
Male-to-female transgender athletes who have gone through male puberty will no longer be eligible to compete in the female World Rankings as of March 31, 2023, according to the World Athletics Council.
The option that was provided to stakeholders requires transgender athletes to maintain their testosterone levels below 2.5nmol/L (nanomoles per litre of blood) for 24 months in order to be allowed to participate internationally in the female category, according to a statement from World Athletics.
There are currently no transgender athletes competing internationally in sports, and as a result, there is no evidence unique to the sport of athletics about the effect transsexual athletes would have on the fairness of female competition.
In light of these facts, the Council chose to put inclusivity ahead of fairness and the integrity of the female competition.
In order to compete internationally in the female category in any event, not just the ones that were excluded (400m to one mile) under the previous regulations, athletes with Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) will now need to reduce their testosterone levels below a limit of 2.5 nmol/L for at least 24 months.
Important decisions have been taken by the World Athletics Council on the future participation in athletics of the Russian and Belarusian Member Federations as well as the rules governing the eligibility of athletes who identify as transgender or who have differences in sexual development.
