Gender identity: Part 2

Part 2 of a 3-part series

 

By Robbert Wijtman

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Gender identity is complex and multifaceted. It is shaped by societal, parental, and personal influences, including one's experiences and treatment in their surroundings. Gender testing in sports remains contentious, with existing tests failing to reflect this complexity. This article explores the current state of gender testing in combative sports. We believe more Olympic sports will reintroduce gender testing. We believe the existing methodologies are fundamentally flawed and do not accurately represent gender. Gender is a sensitive subject that requires careful consideration and understanding. The subject may be difficult for some people.

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The confusion between the International Boxing Association (IBA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gender testing and inclusion rules cost Imane Khelif (Algeria), 66Kg boxing, and Lin Yu-Ting (Chinese Taipei), 57Kg boxing, their Olympic gold medals. (This story is laid out in part one of this series) The IOC's inclusion rules allowed the boxers to participate after they were determined to have tested positive, by the IBA, for high testosterone levels and for the presence of the SRY marker, which is usually found on the Y chromosome. It started a process with extensive ramifications.

Imagine Imane Khelif's disbelief: as far as she knew, she had been born and raised as a female. Now, due to a policy debate, she did not understand; she had lost her gold medal.  The human aspect of gender testing accentuates the urgent need to address policy confusion. The collision of sports and science impacts real lives.

 

Other sports have begun gender testing. Starting September 1, 2025, World Athletics (WA) will require all female athletes participating in world-ranking competitions to undergo a one-time cheek swab or blood test to detect the presence of the SRY marker.

WA believes this effort is a way to ensure fairness in women's categories. Others claim that these tests oversimplify gender identity and biological sex since they do not account for variables in genetic and hormonal variations that influence sex development.

Reinstated gender testing for WA began at the 2025 World Athletics Championship, held in Tokyo, Japan, on September 13 to 21. WA estimated that half of the finalists would not pass the current polymerized test. Because of concerns about the athletes' unanimity, the actual numbers and the athletes' names were not released. The organization did say 95% of the entries were turned in for the test before the championships. They added that 50 to 60 athletes with differential sexual development (DSD) are currently competing.

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In an article by Karleigh Webb, published by Out Sports on September 22, 2025, it is stated that it may not be that simple:

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​'A new report by World Athletics claims that 50 to 60 athletes, who would have failed the current sex verification testing mandate adopted for World Athletics Championships, have been finalists in elite world championship track and field events since 2000.

The claims were made during a presentation by the head of health and sciences for the governing body, Dr Stéphane Bermon. He says from data collected between 2000 and 2023, there had been 135 finalists who have a difference in sexual development (DSD), as defined by World Athletics — the international governing body for track and field — in varied international competitions, with an estimated 50 to 60 being finalists in more than one event.

In the presentation, Dr. Bermon also claims that such cases were 151.9 times more likely to reach an international championship.

The researcher who first found the SRY gene,  Dr. Andrew Sinclair, has criticized the use of his research for sex testing in sports competition. In August, he publicly voiced his opposition, saying that the science does not support the contentions of governing bodies like World Athletics that the test is an accurate barometer. “Using SRY to establish biological sex is wrong because all it tells you is whether or not the gene is present,” he continued. “It does not tell you how SRY is functioning, whether a testis has formed, whether testosterone is produced, and, if so, whether it can be used by the body.” “World Athletics asserts the SRY gene is a reliable proxy for determining biological sex,”  Sinclair told the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. “But, biological sex is much more complex, with chromosomal, gonal, hormonal, and secondary sex characteristics all playing a role.” - K. Webb, World Athletics claims over 50 recent women’s finalists would have failed its new sex test, September 22, 2025, OUT SPORTS.

 

 

Coe remains adamant

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WA president Sebastian Coe remains adamant about gender testing. Coe, in a statement about the new regulations, said, “The philosophy that we hold dear in World Athletics is the protection and the promotion of the integrity of women’s sport. “We are saying, at the elite level, for you to compete in the female category, you have to be biologically female.”

 

So how did we get here?

The original Olympic gender testing protocol focused primarily on detecting Barr Bodies. These structures are present only on the surface of cell nuclei from individuals with two X chromosomes. Additionally, testosterone level tests were used, and had to fall within certain limits deemed acceptable for female competitors.  These methods were criticized for failing to account for individuals with atypical chromosomal patterns or hormonal profiles.

 

For example, a person with Klinefelter syndrome (XXY) might possess Barr bodies yet present as male and typically have testosterone levels considered low for a male but high for a female. Similarly, individuals with Turner's Syndrome (XO) might have no Barr Bodies and face misunderstandings about their gender identity despite presenting as a female.

 

 

Approximately 1 in 2000 to 1 in 4000 births have ambiguous genitalia. This means that the child could be either sex. The decision is often left up to the parents. Proper hormonal treatments are provided at the appropriate time, and individuals may not be aware of any differences between themselves and others of their sex until they do. To put this in perspective, consider an Olympic roster: with around 10,500 athletes participating in the Summer Olympics, statistically, about 3 to 5 athletes could have atypical sex development. If WA is right about the number of athletes with DSD in the world championship finals, it will undoubtedly be much larger.

 

The remedy to many of the issues and lawsuits the International Olympic Committee (IOC) faced was to abandon universal mandatory gender testing in 1999. According to the Sports Integrity Initiative, after the IOC released its Framework Guidelines on Gender Identity, international sports federations can now set their own gender policies.  Soon after all but five of the 35 International Federations of Olympic Sports (IOC) abolished gender verification testing at their world championships. The only IOC sports that maintained the tests were basketball, judo, skiing, volleyball and weightlifting. 

 

This starkly contrasts with current trends, which show a clear shift towards renewed interest in gender testing protocols. Recently, the World Boxing and World Athletics have initiated changes that may significantly alter the Olympics. The complications and ramifications are only now beginning to come to light. Many are speculating about where this might lead.

 

 

 

Click here for part 1