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World Athletics president Lord Coe made “protecting” eligibility of the women’s category a key component<\/a> of his bid to be elected International Olympic Committee president.<\/p>\n Coe said on Monday the proposed new rules “keep up with the latest information available” to maintain “a fair and level playing field in the female category”.<\/p>\n “Preserving the integrity of competition in the female category is a fundamental principle of the sport of athletics and we look forward to this collaborative consultation process with our key stakeholders in this area,” he added.<\/p>\n World Athletics said the cheek swab test would look for the SRY gene, which is “almost always on the male Y chromosome” and “is used as a highly accurate proxy for biological sex”.<\/p>\n A dry spot blood test could also be used to determine an athlete’s testosterone levels, in addition to the presence of the SRY gene.<\/p>\n There have been calls for mandatory sex testing at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 via swab checks, but there has been disagreement among scientists as to their effectiveness.<\/p>\n Professor Alun Williams, who researches genetic factors related to sport performance at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport, told BBC Sport<\/a> last year that a cheek swab alone would “not allow you to reach a robust conclusion on someone’s sex and potential advantage in sport”.<\/p>\n The proposals developed by a World Athletics working group on gender diverse athletes will now go through a consultation period from 10 February until 5 March.<\/p>\n However, the views of athletes will only be heard during this time and alternative policy proposals to the one outlined are not being sought.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n