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The 30-year-old non-binary athlete expressed disappointment over World Athletics’ plans to introduce gene tests and enumerated the consequences that might follow.
Nikki Hiltz. (X)
American distance runner Nikki Hiltz slammed World Athletics’ plans to introduce gene testing for female athletes, claiming that the idea of gender tests could be a steep slope in an undesired direction.
The 30-year-old transgender and non-binary athlete expressed disappointment over the governing body’s scheme and enumerated the consequences that might follow. Hiltz, who was assigned a female at birth, came out as transgender and non-binary in 2021.
“Sex testing is a slippery slope,” Hiltz said securing their berth at the World Championships with a win in the women’s 1,500m at the US trials in Oregon.
“Obviously, I’m gonna do it. I’m not gonna, like, protest it or anything. I just don’t like the precedent that it sets,” they said.
WA carries gene tests using blood sample or cheek swab, which the organisation has backed to be extremely acurate with false alarms being a rare commodity.
Hiltz, however, was bothered by how other federations might use more invasive techniques. and urged resources to be directed towards more pressing issues incluing quality of training and doping.
“If this is the top of the sport setting these rules, how does this trickle down to the NCAA or youth programs?” they asked.
“Sex testing can be very invasive. Like this is just like a harmless cheek swab. Maybe for different organizations, it’s not that. And that scares me.”
“The biggest thing for me is it’s not solving a problem that exists,” they said. “So what is this time, energy, money going for? It’s not a problem that we face.
“What we do face is abusive coaches. Doping allegations. Why aren’t we putting our time and energy, money, into that? It’s pretty disappointing,” they added.
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WA will conduct tests for the SRY gene, which is found on the Y chromosome and is responsible for the development of male characteristics. Athletes who test negative for the Y chromosome are eligible to compete in the female category at world-ranking competitions. However, if the test is positive, they can only compete in the female category at non-world-ranking events or in a different category other than female.
Athletics has been considering introducing eligibility criteria for women’s events for a long time, in response to questions about biological advantages for transgender athletes and those with differences of sex development (DSD).
Currently, transgender women who have undergone male puberty are banned by World Athletics from competing in women’s events. Additionally, the federation requires female DSD athletes, whose bodies produce high testosterone levels, to take medication to lower these levels in order to be eligible.
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