A senior World Athletics official has revealed surprising data showing that dozens of athletes who underwent male puberty competed as finalists in women’s track and field events at major international competitions over more than two decades.
Dr Stéphane Bermon, head of health and science at World Athletics, presented findings to a scientific panel in Tokyo on Friday indicating that approximately 50 to 60 athletes with differences of sex development (DSD) reached finals in the female category at global and continental championships since 2000. These athletes possess a 46 XY chromosome pattern with male testes but were assigned female gender at birth.
The revelations have prompted World Athletics to implement new SRY screening procedures, using cheek swab tests to determine biological sex at world championships. The data collection spans 25 years and paints a concerning picture for the governing body about competitive integrity.
“Everyone is watching World Athletics and we are leading in this area,” Bermon told the panel, adding there were “approximately 50-60 cases of DSD in athletics.”
The numbers become even more striking when considering repeat participation. Between 2000 and 2023, Bermon reported a total of 135 DSD finalists across elite international events, reflecting that some athletes competed in multiple finals throughout their careers.
Perhaps most alarming is the statistical anomaly the data reveals. According to Bermon’s presentation, DSD cases appear 151.9 times more frequently in elite athletics than would be expected based on their occurrence in the general population. These figures emerged from anti-d*ping tests that detected elevated testosterone levels, though officials acknowledge this method may not capture every instance.
The statistics represent athletes who were significantly “over-represented” in major finals and whose participation “compromises the integrity of the female competitions,” according to Bermon’s analysis.
Several prominent cases have already captured international attention. South African middle-distance runner Caster Semenya dominated the 800-meter event, claiming Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016. Namibian sprinter Christine Mboma similarly made headlines by earning silver in the 200 meters at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Both athletes have been absent from elite competition since World Athletics introduced regulations requiring DSD individuals to suppress testosterone levels.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has taken a firm stance on the issue, emphasizing biological considerations over gender identity in competitive categorization.
“The philosophy that we hold dear in World Athletics is the protection and the promotion of the integrity of women’s sport,” Lord Coe stated. “It is really important in a sport that is permanently trying to attract more women that they enter a sport believing there is no biological glass ceiling.”
Coe further clarified the organization’s position on eligibility requirements: “The test to confirm biological sex is a very important step in ensuring this is the case. We are saying, at elite level, for you to compete in the female category, you have to be biologically female. It was always very clear to me and the World Athletics Council that gender cannot trump biology.”
However, the new testing protocols have drawn criticism from some corners of the scientific community. Andrew Sinclair, the professor who originally discovered the SRY gene being used in the screening process, has expressed concerns about the approach. Sinclair described using the SRY gene test to determine biological sex as “overly simplistic” and warned that the science is not “cut and dried.”
The implementation of SRY screening represents World Athletics’ attempt to address what officials view as a fundamental fairness issue in women’s competition. The cheek swab test examines genetic markers to establish biological sex, moving beyond previous methods that focused primarily on hormone levels.
