Thread by @cathydevine56

Female athletes support routine once-in-a-career sex testing ( cheek swab) and this is one of the reasons why. Without it athletes who may be 'relevant athletes' are singled out for further investigation. With it this could be avoided. 1/
theguardian.com/sport/2023/oct…

Evidence from the Atlanta Olympic Games details that 82% of 928 female athletes who responded to a questionnaire thought that sex testing should be continued. They were ignored, as female athletes often are, and sex testing was discontinued. 2/

My research with elite female Canadian athletes found only 3/25 object to reintroduction of sex testing. Comments include
'keep testing please. The female category requires rigorous gate keeping to maintain the level playing field for women and girls'. 3/

WA has replaced sex testing with:
'An athlete who knows she is or believes that she may be a Relevant Athlete must advise the World Athletics Medical Manager if she wishes to compete in the female classification in a Restricted Event at an International Competition' 4/

This appears to have been as a result of those who campaigned to remove sex testing (once in a lifetime cheek swab) enabling XY DSD athletes with androgenisation at puberty and male transgender athletes to compete in female sport against the wishes of elite female athletes. 5/

As a result some athletes may not know they are a 'Relevant Athlete' and so may not advise World Athletics. See the information provided by WA prior to the recent rule change. And in turn this means their competitors may have suspicions. 6/

See thread. 7/

It's a shame that @guardian appears to be opposed to equal competitive opportunities for female athletes and so continues to perpetuate this kind of context free narrative. The public deserves better. 8/