Nigerian star hurdler and world record holder, Tobi Amusan, will be one of many female athletes who must take a new gender test before the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
World Athletics, the body in charge of track and field sports, has introduced a new rule that says all female athletes must take a genetic test to prove they are biologically female. This test will begin on September 1, 2025, and will only need to be done once.
The test will check for a gene called SRY, which is usually found in males. It will be done using either a cheek swab or a small blood sample.
World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, said the rule is to make sure women’s sports stay fair.
He explained:
“To compete as a woman, you must be biologically female. Gender should not be more important than biology.”
This rule was also supported by a group that studies how gender affects sports. It brings together older rules about transgender athletes and those with Differences of Sex Development (DSD) into one simple rule for all female athletes.
Tobi Amusan, who holds the world record in the 100m hurdles and won the 2022 World Championship, is getting ready to race at the Nigerian Championships in Lagos from August 1 to 3. She hopes to defend her title before heading to Tokyo in September for the big event.
Even though the gender test rule won’t start until 2025, the news has already sparked big conversations online. Many people are talking about how this could affect athletes’ privacy, dignity, and the future of women’s sports.
World Athletics thanked all countries and sports bodies for helping with the new rule. They said it’s important to follow the rules to protect the honesty and fairness of women’s competitions.
