World record holder and Nigerian sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan will be among elite female athletes required to undergo a mandatory genetic gender test as part of new eligibility rules announced by World Athletics ahead of the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
The global athletics body, in updated regulations released this week, stated that beginning September 1, 2025, all athletes competing in the female category must complete a one-time genetic test to confirm their biological sex. The test will detect the presence of the SRY gene—typically located on the Y chromosome—and will be conducted via cheek swab or blood sample.
World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, said the rule aims to uphold fairness in women’s competition.
“At elite level, for you to compete in the female category, you have to be biologically female,” Coe stated. “Gender cannot trump biology. This has always been clear to us.”
He added that the rule was developed by the Gender Diverse Athlete Working Group and consolidates existing regulations concerning transgender and DSD (Differences of Sex Development) athletes into a single framework.
Amusan, who is the reigning national champion and 2022 world champion in the women’s 100m hurdles, is currently preparing to defend her national title at the Nigerian Championships scheduled for August 1–3 in Lagos. The event serves as a key part of her build-up to the World Championships set to begin in Tokyo on September 13.
The introduction of the genetic testing policy has sparked global debate, with critics questioning its ethical implications and supporters insisting it is a necessary step to protect the integrity of female athletics.
