World Athletics excludes trans women

On 23 March 2023, Sebastian Coe faced the press in Monaco and announced a decision that sent waves far beyond athletics. The World Athletics Council had decided to exclude trans women who had gone through male puberty from international women's competitions. The rule was to apply from 31 March. International Trans Day of Visibility, of all days.

Until then, trans athletes could compete if their testosterone level stayed below a set limit over a longer period. The federation had initially put a stricter version of this rule up for consultation. The feedback was negative, however, and the council opted for complete exclusion. Fairness takes precedence over inclusion, Coe said.

One sentence in the official statement is remarkable: at the time of the decision, not a single trans athlete was competing at international level anywhere in the world. There was therefore no robust data on a possible advantage in athletics. The ban thus affected no one directly. It nevertheless worked as a signal, for after rugby and swimming, one of the most prominent Olympic federations was now taking this path.

Less noticed, but more consequential for many athletes, was the second part of the package. For athletes with differences of sex development, DSD for short, the permitted testosterone level was halved. And the rule now applied to all disciplines rather than only middle distances.

Criticism was not long in coming. The British organisation Stonewall declared its solidarity that same day with trans people for whom the path to elite sport was now blocked. Those affected spoke of a decision based on politics rather than science. World Athletics announced a working group that was also to include a trans athlete. How fairness and inclusion can be reconciled has occupied federations more than ever since.