World Athletics bans trans women from female events
Transgender women will not be allowed to compete in female events under new guidelines announced by World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.
In a press conference in Monaco on 23 March, he said “decisive action” had been taken to “protect the female category in our sport”. “The council has agreed to exclude male-to-female transgender athletes, who have been through male puberty, from female world ranking competitions from 31 March,” he continued. “In January, World Athletics said it was consulting with member federations on a proposal to change the rules on participation of transgender women in female competitions. “The issue is thorny as sports try to strike a balance between inclusivity and making sure there is no unfair advantage.” READ MORE: Trans sports exclusions trickle down to youth and amateur groups The day the ban comes into effect, 31 March, is also Trans Day of Visibility.
He also stated that a working group will be set up to do further research into transgender eligibility guidelines. Coe explained that the decision was made after a consultation with an array of stakeholders including athletes, coaches, UN experts, the IOC, community groups and 40 member federations. READ MORE: IOC announces new Olympic guidelines for transgender inclusion in sport “The majority of those consulted stated that transgender athletes should not be competing in the female category,” he said. “Many believe there is insufficient evidence that trans women do not retain advantage over biological women, and want more evidence that any physical advantages have been ameliorated before they are willing to consider an option for inclusion into the female category.” You can watch the press conference in full below or by clicking here.
