The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has officially banned transgender people from participating in women’s events. It is a ‘confirmed kill’ nine months after expressing support for the ban on transgender participation by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) in June of last year.
The IAAF officially announced on its website on the 24th (Korean time) that it had agreed to exclude transgender athletes who have undergone secondary sexual characteristics (MTF (male to female: a person whose gender at birth was male or female)) from international competitions in the women’s division. did.
This decision is made in the name of protecting fair competition between women. The IAAF has been discussing since the beginning of this year to revise the existing proposal to qualify only transgender athletes with a testosterone level of 2.5 nmol/L or less for 24 months. The result of the consultation is to completely restrict transgender women’s participation in the women’s division without limiting the testosterone standard. The fact that there are currently no cases of transgender athletes on the international track and field stage, and above all, the lack of scientific evidence that competition with transgender people is fair, are the key reasons for overturning the existing conditional permission measures.
The IAAF also revamped the rules for athletes with ‘disorders of sexual development’, so-called DSD (disorders of sexual development). For example, if you are a woman but have an excessive level of testosterone, the male sex hormone, it belongs to this category. The IAAF proposed an amendment that would require DSD athletes to have testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol/L for at least 24 months to qualify. This is half of the previous standard of 5 nmol/L. Most women’s testosterone levels range from 0.12 to 1.79 nmol/L and men range from 7.7먹튀검증 to 29.4 nmol/L.
The target of application was also expanded from limited to 400m to 1 mile (approximately 1,610m) events to all events. However, players who competed in events where there were no restrictions will follow a ‘deferred measure’ that requires them to keep their testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol/L for at least six months.
According to the BBC, 13 DSD players will be affected by the new rules. In order to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, you must keep your testosterone levels below the standard from now on. Castor Semenya (South Africa), a representative DSD athlete in the track and field world, is currently struggling in the 5,000m event, not the 800m event, refusing medication. When the new regulations come into effect, his future becomes unclear again.
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) and the International Rugby League (IRL) are organizations that have banned transgender women from participating in women’s events, such as the IAAF. The International Cycling Union (UCI) and the International Triathlon Federation (ITU) allow conditions according to testosterone levels, and the International Football Federation (FIFA) is preparing rules.
Participation in the competition by transgender people is truly an ‘unresolved issue’ as each organization has different possibilities. The controversy between ‘fairness’ and ‘human rights’ is heating up. The IAAF said, “It was decided to prioritize fairness (of the two values)” and “decided to form a subcommittee for 12 months to further consider the issue of transgender inclusion.” The Sub-Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and up to three members, two Athletes from the Athletes Commission, one transgender Athlete, three representatives from member federations, and a representative from the IAAF’s Health and Science Department.
Meanwhile, on the same day, the IAAF reinstated the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF), which had been suspended for the ‘doping manipulation scandal’. It has been 7 years and 4 months since the suspension of qualifications was taken in November 2015. However, the punishment following the Russian invasion of Ukraine remains. As a result, Russian and Belarusian athletes cannot participate in international athletics competitions.