World Athletics has voted to ban transgender women from elite female competitions if they have undergone male puberty, a decision the governing body said was taken to “protect the future of the female category”. The ruling, which comes into effect on 31 March, was announced by World Athletics president Seb Coe, who acknowledged it would be contentious but said the sport had been guided by the “overarching principle” of fairness and the science around 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,” Coe said. “We believe the integrity of the female category in athletics is paramount.” However, he stressed that a working group would be set up to consult with transgender athletes and review any fresh research. “We’re not saying no forever,” he said.
The decision follows increasing debate over transgender participation in sport, notably after New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. Most sports have allowed trans women to compete if they lower their testosterone to 5 nanomoles per litre for 12 months, but emerging science showing retained advantages in strength, endurance, and lung capacity led World Athletics to propose a lower testosterone limit for at least 24 months in January. Coe said there was “little support” for that policy, with athletes and federations prioritising fairness for female sport over inclusion.
Athletics becomes the latest sport to ban transgender women from female events, following World Rugby in 2020 and World Swimming and the Rugby Football League last year. The decision is likely to be opposed by LGBTQ+ groups such as Stonewall, which urged sports to be inclusive, while campaign group Fair Play For Women welcomed the move, saying it was “the right thing for women and girls”.
In a separate decision, World Athletics also announced that athletes with differences in sex development (DSD) would be barred from competing internationally in all events unless they reduce their testosterone to 2.5 nanomoles per litre for at least six months. This affects athletes such as Caster Semenya and Christine Mboma, who previously could compete without medication except in events from 400m to a mile. Coe said the change means they will miss this summer’s World Championships in Budapest.
