World Athletics is set to tighten its rules on transgender women’s participation in female sports in a crucial meeting of its decision-making body on Thursday. This comes in contrast to swimming, which has effectively banned transgender athletes from elite female competition. The global body for track and field has expressed that its “preferred option” is to tighten the rules surrounding eligibility, but it aims to use limits on testosterone as the primary determining factor.
World Athletics has proposed that transgender and DSD athletes must reduce their blood testosterone levels from the current maximum of 5 nanomoles per liter to below 2.5 nanomoles per liter, and remain below this level for two years instead of one, as is currently the case. The proposals will be discussed and put to vote at the World Athletics’ Council meeting that commences on Tuesday in Monaco, with decisions expected to be published on Thursday.
The meeting will also address the lifting of the doping ban on Russia’s track and field federation. The federation was banned in 2015 after a report from the World Anti-Doping Agency uncovered “a deeply-rooted culture of doping.” Russia is not eligible to host World Athletics events or send teams to international championships.
To be allowed to participate again, the athletics superpower must fulfill a set of strict conditions, including creating a zero-tolerance culture and an effective anti-doping structure. Currently, all Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from competition “for the foreseeable future” since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This includes the option of competing as a neutral.
With just 18 months left until the Paris Olympics, the sport of athletics’ stance on potential Russian participation will come under increased scrutiny. The International Olympic Committee had recommended the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian sportspeople 13 months ago, but in January, it announced its search for a “pathway” for Russians to take part in the Games.
Following this announcement, the Olympic Council of Asia provided athletes from both countries the opportunity to participate in this year’s Asian Games. This caused confusion and prompted a demand for clarification from more than 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, Britain, France, and Sweden. While there seems to be growing support for the return of Russians and Belarusians under a neutral flag, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has been clear in his previous declarations that his body would not budge while Kyiv remains under attack.
