Gene tests: World Athletics new rule for women’s events begins

Within the scientific community there is also opposition. Andrew Sinclair, a professor of translational genomics at the University of Melbourne – who discovered the SRY gene in 1990 – recently wrote that mandatory sex testing was “misguided”., external

He said that “using SRY to establish biological sex is wrong because all it tells you is whether or not the gene is present,” and that “the science does not support this overly simplistic assertion”. He also raised concerns about the risk of accidental contamination and a potential false positive.

And Madeleine Pape, a former Australian Olympian and a sociologist at the University of Lausanne, has also raised concerns about the test inadvertently ‘outing’ athletes – some of whom may never have known they had a DSD.

“It is far from being scientifically accurate as a performance indicator, while being very harmful to the athletes affected,” she said.

World Athletics says any initial positive results will be followed up with further medical assessments, allowing for an accurate diagnosis before a decision over eligibility is made. It says a healthcare specialist will also discuss the results with an athlete, helping them understand any medical, psychological or social implications.

In terms of privacy, athletes have been told they will upload their test result on a secure, encrypted platform, and that they can request a retest and challenge results via the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Supporters also say this method is more humane than requiring DSD athletes to suppress their natural testosterone levels, and will avoid the intense media scrutiny that some athletes have been subjected to.