Athletics, transgender women excluded from women’s competitions – Corriere.it

The World Athletics Federation has excluded transgender women from international women’s competitions. The ban, and this is the most relevant novelty, concerns those who have already gone through male puberty. “The Council has agreed to exclude, effective March 31, transgender athletes who have gone through male puberty and have completed the transition from man to woman,” said World Athletics Federation President Sebastian Coe. Therefore, female athletes who have begun the gender transition phase before development are admitted.

A strong choice, dictated by consultations with the IOC and national federations and by need “to protect the female category”Coe explained. “The scientific evidence relating to the fact that transgenders do not have considerable advantages over biological women – added Coe – is insufficient to allow them to compete. But we will create a commission that continues to examine the situation: it is not a “no” forever”. Indeed, the Council set up a working group for 12 months to examine the matter further. The rule, as mentioned, will come into force from March 31, but will not be applied as there are currently no transgender athletes in international competitions.

What changes for «dsd» athletes

Since March 31, the conditions for so-called DSD athletes have also changed, with “disorders of sexual development”, such as Caster Semenya for example. The new rules will require them to have a testosterone level of less than 2.5 nanomoles per liter for a minimum period of 24 months (previously it was 5 nmol/L), six months for the thirteen already recognized athletes.

Russians and Belarusians still excluded

The Council has also rehabilitated Russian athletes and officials after they were suspended more than seven years ago for state doping. In any case however, Russian (and Belarusian) athletes remain excluded “until the near future” from any activity following Moscow’s military invasion of Ukraine. A decision, the latter, which goes against the IOC’s attempt to include Russians and Belarusians for the Paris 2024 Olympics.