World Athletics, the organization in charge of governing world athletics, has announced that transgender athletes will not be able to compete in women’s categories at the international level if they have gone through male puberty. According to the organization’s president, Sebastian Coe, the measure will go into effect on March 31.
Coe said a working group will be set up to conduct further research into transgender eligibility guidelines, adding that the decision to ban transgender athletes from participating in the women’s categories is “guided by the general principle of protecting the female category.” He also affirmed that the organization is not going to reject the participation of transgender athletes definitively, but that a solution will be sought that allows for inclusion and equity in the sport.
World Athletics’ decision comes at a time when the debate over transgender inclusion in sport is gaining momentum around the world. Some argue that transgender athletes have an advantage over cisgender women because of their pre-transition physiology, while others argue that discrimination towards transgender people in sports is unfair and bigoted.
In any case, World Athletics has made the decision to temporarily ban transgender athletes from participating in international women’s categories, which may have important implications for the inclusion of transgender people in sport in the future.