More than 95% of the World Athletics Championships participants have undergone genetic testing

More than 95 percent of the athletes registered for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo have already undergone mandatory one-time genetic tests, said the World Athletics.

The report added that the remaining tests, mainly on athletes from the French and Norwegian delegations, will be carried out before the start of the championships on Saturday. The rule came into effect on September 1.

“We believe that women’s categories in sports should be protected by all methods. These are our principles”, said World Athletics’ president Sebastian Coe. He added that the federation would conduct a survey among athletes during the championships in order to conduct tests in an even more appropriate manner next year.

The test detects the SRY gene – or ‘sex-determining region Y gene’ – which is part of the Y chromosome and causes male characteristics to develop. If a human embryo has XY chromosomes the SRY gene leads to the formation of testes, which then produce hormones including testosterone that lead to male development – increasing muscle mass and strength.