Track and field governing body, World Athletics, has made a proposal to continue allowing transgender women to compete in female international track and field events.
World Athletics says its preferred option was to tighten the sport’s eligibility rules, but still use testosterone limits as the basis for inclusion.
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.
It comes despite other sports banning transgender women from participating in elite female competition amid concerns they have an unfair advantage.
Last June World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe welcomed the move by swimming’s world governing body Fina, to stop trans athletes from competing in women’s elite races if they had gone through any part of the process of male puberty, insisting fairness is non-negotiable.
Fina’s decision followed a report by a taskforce of leading figures from the world of medicine, law and sport that said that going through male puberty meant trans women retained a relative performance advantage over biological females, even after medication to reduce testosterone.
At the time, Coe hinted his sport could follow suit: “We have always believed that biology trumps gender and we will continue to review our regulations in line with this.”
World Athletics has faced some criticism over its stance, but said it was the best way to gather constructive feedback and insisted a final decision had not yet been made.
