World Athletics is consulting with its members about imposing stricter testosterone limits on transgender athletes.
Last update: 01/21/23 21:26
The governing body’s proposal stops short of calling for a complete ban on trans athletes.
World Athletics said on Saturday that it is consulting with member federations on a proposal that would impose stricter testosterone limits on transgender athletes competing in women’s track and field events.
The governing body’s proposal stops short of calling for an outright ban on trans athletes, saying it arrived at its “preferred option” after reviewing a number of existing and new scientific studies and observations from the field.
World Athletics stressed that no final decision on the matter has been made after the Telegraph newspaper reported on the discussions.
“Presenting a preferred option is the best way to gather constructive feedback, but this does not mean that this is the option that will be presented to the Council or indeed adopted,” World Athletics said in a statement.
The option being discussed would limit the maximum amount of testosterone in plasma for transgender women and those with differences in sexual development (DSD) to 2.5 nanomoles per liter, half the current limit of 5 nanomoles.
It would also double the amount of time the athlete would need to stay below that level to two years.
The council will make a final decision on the proposal in March, the Telegraph informed.
In June, World Athletics and soccer’s governing body FIFA said they were reviewing their transgender eligibility policies after swimming’s world governing body FINA approved rules banning transgender people from participating in events. feminine.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe praised FINA’s decision at the time, which has been criticized by transgender rights advocates.
Advocates of transgender inclusion say there are relatively few transgender women athletes and that there have been insufficient studies on the impact of transitioning on physical performance.
Opponents say testosterone suppression doesn’t completely eliminate the benefits for someone who was assigned male at birth and went through puberty before transitioning.
