World Triathlon approves new policy allowing transgender women to continue competing in sport's female category

• Transgender women will continue to be allowed to compete in international triathlon events as females.
• However, they will face tighter restrictions if they are to do so.

World Triathlon has approved a new policy that will allow transgender women to continue competing in the sport's female category but under tighter restrictions.

On Wednesday, triathlon's governing body announced that, as of next month, transgender women must show that their testosterone concentration is less than 2.5 nanomoles per litre continuously for at least two years to compete internationally as females.

Transgender women in the sport currently only have to provide one year's worth of data proving their lowered testosterone levels.

The governing body also said that moving forward, at least four years — rather than one — must have elapsed since a transgender athlete has competed as a man in any sporting competition before they can compete as a woman.

World Triathlon said its new policy, which was formed after consulting athletes, medical and legal experts among others, aims to balance inclusion with fairness.

"We are a small International Federation, but one that has always had inclusion and gender balance in our DNA," said World Triathlon President Marisol Casado.

"The Policy that we have just approved shows that we are prioritizing the fairness principle but showing inclusiveness."

While World Triathlon's policy tightens the restrictions on transgender women competing as females, it goes notably against recent decisions from the governing bodies of swimming and rugby league.

FINA, swimming's international governing body, voted in June to restrict transgender women from competing in women's elite races.

Later the same month, rugby league's international governing body followed suit by barring transgender women from playing in women's international rugby league games.

British Triathlon, the governing body for triathlon in Britain, has also barred transgender women from racing in the female category at elite and grassroots levels.

The organization has instead created an "open category" for transgender women to compete in.