British female athletes forced to pay for sex tests to compete internationally
Female athletes in a race. (Hannah Peters/Getty)
British female track and field athletes are being forced to pay out of pocket for their own sex tests to prove they are not trans or intersex if they want to compete internationally.
World Athletics, the international governing body for athletics, requires all athletes to undergo an SRY test before competing in the female category for all major championships and Diamond League events.
The rule is in place to exclude trans women and intersex people from competition.
The SRY gene tests are used to detect the presence of the Y chromosome via a cheek swab or blood sample and cost £185.
Male athletes need not complete a test in order to compete.
World Athletics has previously provided financial support to help pay for the tests, which athletes only need to complete once in their lifetimes.
However, British female athletes that want to compete on an international stage are now being advised by UK Athletics to pay for their own tests “as soon as possible to avoid delays around selection”.
UK Athletics does have a “hardship fund” in place to assist those who are unable to pay, but the federation has confirmed that funding requests are assessed on a “case-by-case basis”.
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