Transgender women no longer eligible for female athletics events

Transgender women who have been through puberty as a man will no longer be able to compete on the global athletic stage.

Transgender women will not be able to compete at the Olympics if they have bee through male puberty. . (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Transgender women will no longer be allowed to compete in female track and field events regardless of their levels of testosterone, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said Thursday.

Speaking after a meeting of the global track and field federation’s decision-making body, Lord Coe sad:

“The Council has agreed to exclude male or female transgender athletes who have been through male puberty from female world ranking competitions from March the 31st this year.” Lord Coe said World Athletics had consulted with stakeholders including the International Olympic Committee and national federations about the issue of transgender athletes.

Transgender women will not be able to compete if they have bee through male puberty.

“The majority of those consulted stated that transgender athletes should not be competing in the female category,” he said.

“Many believe there is insufficient evidence that trans women do not retain advantage over biological women and want more evidence that any physical advantages have been ameliorated before they are willing to consider an option for inclusion into the female category.”

He added: “The judgement we took … was, I believe, in the best interests of our sport.

“We’re not saying ‘no’ forever,” he said, adding that a working group headed by a transgender person would be created to further monitor scientific developments.

Originally published as Transgender women no longer eligible for female athletics events