Athletes Overwhelmingly Support Gene Test - Coe

World Athletics president Lord Coe says athletes are "overwhelmingly supportive" of nan cistron trial which is being introduced for those wanting to compete successful nan female category.

In March, nan governing assemblage approved nan preamble of a one-time trial for nan SRY cistron – which is portion of nan Y chromosome and causes antheral characteristics to create – to beryllium applied for world ranking competitions.

The trial is only required to beryllium taken erstwhile and tin beryllium conducted via a feature swab aliases humor test. If nan consequence shows antagonistic for nan Y chromosome, nan jock is eligible to compete successful nan female category.

The regulations travel into effect connected 1 September and will beryllium successful cognition for nan World Championships opening successful Tokyo connected 13 September.

Coe estimates much than 90% of athletes competing successful female class events successful Japan will person been tested earlier arriving successful nan state pinch nan remainder past tested successful their pre-competition holding camps.

"The athletes are overwhelmingly supportive of this, and person been very, very adjuvant successful each this," he said.

"The personnel federations person been very supportive and we needed to found nan astir effective test, nan trial that was nan astir non-invasive, nan 1 we could transportation out.

"It wasn't without its challenges, but location will beryllium athletes that will beryllium tested moreover successful their holding camps successful Tokyo.

"We wanted athletes to get tested, wherever possible, earlier Tokyo, and that is simply a very, very important principle. But if, for immoderate reason, that proves difficult, we do person nan opportunity to do that erstwhile they are successful Tokyo."

The trial was 1 of respective recommendations approved astatine March's World Athletics Council gathering to tighten regulations complete nan eligibility of transgender and quality of activity improvement (DSD) athletes.

In March 2023, World Athletics introduced a ban for transgender athletes who had gone done antheral puberty from competing successful nan female class successful world competition.

A moving group besides recommended World Athletics merge regulations for some DSD and transgender athletes aft it said caller grounds showed testosterone suppression "can only ever partially mitigate nan wide antheral advantage successful nan athletics of athletics".

The existent rules for DSD athletes require them to trim their testosterone levels to a group level for astatine slightest six months to compete successful immoderate female class arena internationally.

Coe besides addressed nan missed payments connected to nan Grand Slam Track competition launched by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson. Coe said it was "critical" to person a sound financial scheme erstwhile launching caller events.

The league, which began successful 2025, offered important financial incentives, including up to $100,000 (£73,600) for winners of title categories arsenic good arsenic salaries for contracted athletes, but has been "unable to meet" nan timelines for payments, according to Johnson.

The last arena of nan play was cancelled successful June and Johnson confirmed nan title will not tally successful 2026 unless athletes person their owed payments.

"You've sewage to person nan finance successful place. That's perfectly critical," Coe said.

"I cognize Michael, and this is astir apt sitting severely pinch him. I perfectly judge that, and I'm judge he's doing everything he perchance tin to make judge nan athletes get what they've been promised."