MANDATORY DNA TESTS FOR WOMEN ATHLETES

MBABANE – Local Track and Field women runners are expected to undergo a one-off Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) test to verify their biological sex.

This announcement was made by World Athletics (WA) President, Sebastian Coe on Tuesday. Eswatini is also a member of this global athletics body.

Coe stated that the governing body for track and field has approved the introduction of cheek swabs and dry blood-spot tests for female athletes in order to maintain the integrity of competition, as reported by AP News.

The planned changes include the reinstatement of a version of chromosome testing that was discontinued in the 1990s.

This process required athletes competing in the female category to submit to a cheek swab or dry blood-spot test to check for the presence of a gene indicating whether the athlete has a chromosome, which is typically present in males.

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Coe addressed a news conference, emphasising that athletes will only need to take the test once during their careers.

“It’s important to do it because it maintains everything that we’ve been discussing, particularly recently, about not just talking about the integrity of women’s sport, but actually guaranteeing it,” Coe stated.

He further remarked that this measure is a crucial way of providing confidence and maintaining a strong focus on the integrity of competition.

However, it remains unclear whether the tests will be implemented before the World Championships in September.

Coe mentioned that new regulations will be drafted, and a testing provider will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

It is worth noting that WA banned transgender athletes, who transitioned from male to female and underwent male puberty in 2023.

The organisation has proposed recommendations that would apply strict rules to athletes who were assigned female at birth but have what WA describes as naturally occurring testosterone levels within the typical male range.

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