World Triathlon approves new transgender policy
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World Triathlon has approved a new policy that will allow transgender athletes to continue competing in women’s categories.
However, they must demonstrate lower testosterone concentrations continuously for at least two years and cannot have competed as a male in any sporting competition for the past four years.
The new regulations, which will come into force in September, do not mention transgender athletes in men’s events.
The world governing body’s policy differs from the position taken by British Triathlon, which established a new “open” category. for transgender athletes in July and will go into effect next year.
The changes to British Triathlon mean that, for athletes aged 12 and over, competitive female events will be reserved “for those who are born female”.
World triathlon president Marisol Casado said her organisation’s new policy, which affects elite and age-group competitions, was to “prioritise the principle of fairness but showing inclusion”.
World Triathlon said it consulted widely, including “various experts in the field and the transgender community”.
Last week Rugby Football League (RFL) and Rugby Football Union (RFU) issued a ban about transgender women competing in female-only forms of their games.
In June, the world governing body of swimming, Fina voted to stop transgender athletes from competing in elite female races if they have gone through any part of the male puberty process.
Cycling’s governing body, the UCI, recently tightened its rules on transgender eligibility.
In June, the UK Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries he met with the heads of sports bodies in the United Kingdom and told them that “elite and competitive women’s sport must be reserved for people born of the female sex.”
