World Athletics has introduced a new policy requiring all female athletes, including Nigeria’s sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan, to undergo mandatory gender testing ahead of the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
The regulation, effective from September 1, 2025, mandates a one-time genetic test to confirm an athlete’s biological sex. The test will check for the SRY gene—typically found on the Y chromosome—and will be conducted through either a cheek swab or blood sample.
World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, defended the decision, saying it is aimed at preserving fairness in women’s sports.
“At the elite level, if you want to compete in the female category, you must be biologically female. Gender cannot override biology,” Coe said in a statement.
The new requirement was developed based on recommendations from the Gender Diverse Athlete Working Group, which examined recent developments in science, sports, and international law. It merges existing policies on transgender athletes and those with Differences of Sex Development (DSD), and introduces a uniform pre-clearance rule for all female participants.
The policy will directly impact athletes like Tobi Amusan, who are expected to represent Nigeria at the World Championships scheduled to begin on September 13, 2025, in Tokyo.
Amusan, the 2022 world champion and current world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, is presently preparing for the Nigerian Championships, set to hold from August 1–3 at the Yabatech Sports Complex. She is expected to defend her national title as she eyes a return to global dominance.
