Revisiting Sex Verification in Sport: New Historical Perspectives
Journal: The International Journal of the History of Sport
In 2025, World Athletics (formerly the IAAF) approved a new procedure to determine eligibility in the women’s category of sport at world-ranking competitions. It mandated that competitors undergo a cheek swab or blood test to detect the presence or absence of the Sex-determining Region Y (SRY) gene. The policy went into effect for the World Championships in September of that year. Six months later, the International…