Another sport has banned transgender women from competing in female events

Track and field has banned transgender athletes from international competition and adopted new regulations that could stop athletes with differences in sex development from competing.

Track and field has banned transgender athletes from competing in female categories at international competitions. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins

Key Points

• World Athletics has announced a ban on transgender women competing in female categories.
• There are also new rules for athletes with differences in sex development.
• The new rules will come into effect from 31 March.

Track and field has banned transgender athletes from international competition while adopting new regulations that could also keep athletes with differences in sex development from competing.

It comes after announcements of similar restrictions in swimming, rugby union and rugby league.

Here's what we know.

What are the new rules?

The World Athletics Council adopted the same rules as swimming did last year by deciding to bar athletes who have transitioned from male to female and have gone through male puberty.

There are also new rules for athletes with differences in sex development (DSD), who will have to undergo hormone-suppressing treatment before competing to be eligible.

The phrase DSD describes differences in sex development and can impact hormones and reproductive organs.

Female DSD athletes may have XY sex chromosomes and natural blood testosterone levels in the 'male' range, which some have argued gives them an advantage over other athletes competing in female categories.

Under the new regulations, relevant athletes will have to reduce their testosterone levels below a limit of 2.5 nanomoles per litre for a minimum of 24 months to compete internationally in the female category in any event.

DSD athletes had previously been permitted to compete in events in the 400 metre to one mile (1,600 metres).

The new rules will come into effect from 31 March.

Who will be impacted by the ban on transgender women?

No transgender women who have gone through male puberty currently compete at the highest elite levels of track.

But the updates for those with differences in sex development (DSD), will impact 13 athletes, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said.

The tighter rules will impact athletes including Caster Semenya, a two-time Olympic champion at 800 metres from South Africa who has been barred from that event since 2019.

Middle-distance runner and two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya Semenya, would now have to undergo hormone-suppressing treatment for six months before competing. Source: AAP

Semenya underwent the treatment a decade ago under previous rules and has said she would never do it again.

The rules will impact other DSD athletes such as Christine Mboma, the 2020 Olympic silver medallist in the 200m, and Francine Niyonsaba, who finished runner-up to Semenya in the 800 at the 2016 Olympics.

At the 2020 Olympics, Semenya and Burundi's Niyonsaba were both barred from the 800m before turning their attention to the 5,000m.

Namibia's Mboma, prevented from running the 400m, switched to the 200m, winning silver.

Why is this happening, and what's next?

Mr Coe told a news conference that the decision to exclude transgender women was based "on the overarching need to protect the female category".

The governing body had previously floated the option of transgender athletes being allowed to compete in the female category if they maintained testosterone levels below 2.5 nanomoles per litre for 24 months.

On Thursday, it said there had been little support within the sport for that proposal.

"We're not saying no forever," Mr Coe said.

The Council has agreed to set up a Working Group for 12 months to further consider the issue of transgender inclusion.

The group will include an independent chair, up to three Council Members, two athletes from the Athletes’ Commission, a transgender athlete, three representatives of the Member Federations and representatives of the World Athletics Health and Science Department.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe says it is important to "maintain fairness for female athletes above all other considerations". Source: AAP / Sebastien Nogier

“Decisions are always difficult when they involve conflicting needs and rights between different groups, but we continue to take the view that we must maintain fairness for female athletes above all other considerations," Mr Coe said.

"We will be guided in this by the science around physical performance and male advantage which will inevitably develop over the coming years.

"As more evidence becomes available, we will review our position."