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World Athletics has announced that it will begin genetic testing for all female track and field athletes in the future, according to the Washington Post. The new policy could have an impact on Olympic athletes in the near future.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe announced the decision following a council meeting at the World Indoor Championships in India. Under the new protocol, all female athletes would have to undergo a one-time cotton swab or dried spot blood test in order to compete in World Athletics competitions.

Coe said the organization's new policy is "not just talking about the integrity of female, women's sport but actually guaranteeing it." He added that the World Athletics' goal is "maintaining the absolute focus on the integrity of competition."

Back in 2023, Coe led the charge on World Athletics' original transgender ban. Coe did not provide a timeline for when the new policy would be implemented.

The International Olympic Committee doesn't have its own policy for transgender athletes, although new president Kirsty Coventry has expressed interest in exploring the idea. Instead, the IOC has elected to leave those policies up to each sport's international federation. That means the World Athletics transgender policy could impact athletes looking to qualify for future Olympic games.