World Athletics Proposes Allowing Trans Women To Compete In Female Category

World Athletics has proposed continuing to allow transgender women to compete in the female category in international track and field events. A policy document suggesting the amendments has been sent to World Athletics' member federations as part of a consultation process before a vote in March.

In a statement, World Athletics said its "preferred option" was to tighten the sport's eligibility rules and continue to use testosterone limits as the basis for inclusion.

The current rules called the Eligibility Regulations for the Female Classification puts the threshold for athletes with differences in sex development (DSD) for testosterone at 5 nanomoles per litre for a period of six months to allow athletes to participate in events from 400 metres to a mile (approximately 1.6 kilometres).

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World Athletics On Trans Women Athletes

As per World Athletics' "preferred option", transgender athletes will have to keep their maximum testosterone level to 2.5 nanomoles per litre for a period of two years.

The proposal will also see rule changes apply to DSD athletes in every track and field discipline, rather than events ranging from 400 metres to a mile.

World Athletes told member federations that its "preferred option" is to allow trans women and athletes with differences in sex development to continue to compete in the female category in international track and field.

In the policy document, World Athletics concluded that the "preferred option would allow significant (but not full) reduction of anaerobic, aerobic performances, while still providing a part for eligibility of trans women ... to compete in the female category."

World Athletics expects to receive feedback on the proposal at the end of January, after which they will consult in a targeted way, more widely.

The Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union had banned transgender women from competing in female-only forms of their games. The move came after World Rugby became the first international sports federation to ban trans women from the elite and international levels.

While some praised the move, critics have described the rules as discriminatory.