Nigeria’s sprint hurdler and world record holder, Tobi Amusan, will be among female athletes required to undergo a mandatory genetic gender test under new World Athletics regulations ahead of the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
According to the updated eligibility rules released by the global body, all athletes competing in the female category must, from September 1, 2025, complete a one-time genetic test to confirm their biological sex.
The test, aimed at detecting the SRY gene, typically found on the Y chromosome, will be conducted through either a cheek swab or blood sample.
World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, defended the decision, insisting it was necessary to uphold fairness in women’s sports.
“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,” Coe said.
“We particularly want to thank our Member Federations for their support and commitment in the implementation of these new regulations.”
The new policy is the outcome of recommendations from the Gender Diverse Athlete Working Group and consolidates existing guidelines on transgender and DSD (Differences of Sex Development) athletes into a single, uniform requirement for all female competitors.
Amusan, the 2022 world champion and current 100m hurdles world record holder, is gearing up to defend her national title at the Nigerian Championships in Lagos from August 1–3, as part of her preparations for the Tokyo event, which begins on September 13, 2025.
