A Canadian athlete with a view of the World Athletics Championships next month prepared for a fitness hour when she received an e -mail from athletics canada.
The message on August 13 states that the saliva test (cheek smear) that the athlete and other women had carried out at the recent national championships in Ottawa in order to calculate the competition at Worlds did not meet the requirements of the world athletes.
The athlete, who was confidential for fear of reprisals, had already traveled to Europe, where she wanted to train for a month.
“I went to the gym for an hour and a half (after reading the email) because I was on the phone and tried to find out what to do to make sure that I was (for worlds),” she said. “Do I have to fly to another country to get the test? It is illegal in the country (where).
“Travel is cargo, the load is load. It is a bit annoying, especially if I don’t agree with this guideline.”
Athletics Canada has put together with Dynacare, one of the leading providers of health and wellness solutions in Canada, to deliver test kits for doctors in Ottawa and return to analyzes and results. According to athletics canada, “Dynacare made a mistake with the intended tubes” and could not make the corresponding tests from the removed samples.
Several messages to Dynacare who are looking for a comment about who is to blame for a possible test pipe error have not been returned to CBC sports.
In an earlier explanation from Dynacare it was said: “Athletics Canada provided dynacare saliva samples for testing. Dynacare identified blood samples, not saliva, and immediately recommended the blood collection to meet the right standards (from World Athletics).
“It was a new process for athletics canada and we hadn’t presented this type of tests before.”
Colin Whitmee, Athletics Canada Director for high -performance director, told CBC Sports in a statement last week that the saliva test was and remains a valid test per world athletics.
September 1st test period
About 37 Canadian athletes will be tested in Tokyo in Tokyo via Blood or Tubert by the end of August.
The Sry -Genen, which stands for the sexual region -y gene, is located on the Y chromosome. The Sry test determines whether the genetic material, which is responsible for the management of the male gender determination, is present in a person’s cells.
In a press release on July 30th World Athletics announced all athletes If you want to compete in the female world category, take a one-time test for the Sry gene to determine the biological gender. However, the unique tests were illegal in several countries.
In the end, the Canadian athlete only had to drive to a small town in a neighboring country for 75 minutes last Friday. Before searching for this laboratory, the athlete prepared for four hours to drive into the nearest city in this country.
“The laboratory technician was not impressed by the guideline regarding me to carry out the exam,” she said. “Every health service provider that I interacted with regard to this test has expressed me how unethical world politics is athletics and is not enthusiastic about participating.”
A second Canadian athlete, who was confidential for fear of reprisals, said that it was a challenge to determine where the blood test is to be carried out, but was grateful that athletics found a solution. In Europe, in Europe, she took it in Spain on August 19, but needed an overnight stay after four to five hours.
“It would have been too exhausting to do everything in one day,” added the athlete.
Before the trip, her trainer adapted her training plan.
“It was difficult to stay concentrated because I tried to find a solution to complete the test that included e -mails and telephone calls,” said the second athlete. “It is frustrating that all women complete it by September 1st.
“World Athletics would either have extended or approved the deadline or could have been carried out with a saliva sample in Tokyo (at the World Championships).”
“Unnecessary stress for associations, athletes”
The first Canadian athlete found that it gives a break when a community of scientists is concerned about the steps that the World Athletics takes.
“I feel (the test) is invasive,” she said. “The introduction of this guideline was a chaos and caused many unnecessary stress for the associations (such as athletics canada) and athletes to find out how a test can be carried out.”
World Athletics uses the passion that we have for this sport and know that we will do everything they say to be justified (for the World Cup).– A Canadian athlete at the Sry Gentest
The first Canadian athlete wondered whether World Athletics announced the Sry -Gengen tests near the World Cup, so that the associations had no time to challenge themselves.
“Athletics Canada does not have the opportunity to have a political attitude towards these tests. They just want to ensure that the athletes are entitled to take part in competitions,” she said.
“As an athlete, it feels manipulative. World Athletics uses the passion we have for this sport and know that we will do everything you say to be justified. If World Athletics had presented the tests earlier, there would have been more dialogue with the associations.”
In the “debate” of Sry -Gen tests, the first Canadian explained that there is “a lot of transthobia, misogyny and hatred of all sorts of women and it is difficult to speak.
“There is recognition of testosterone is a performance -prone hormone and the most important difference hormone between the women and male category,” she said.
“World Athletics already knows our testosterone level because we carry out all anti-doping tests. If there are abnormalities, there is a way for a follow-up. Doping? Or is that of course? The chromosome angle is irrelevant.
In an explanation to CBC Sports, World Athletics said in detail with affected people and groups and when asked about a test preference, “a wide range of stakeholders reacted, and the majority supported the implementation of the regulations, including the Sry-Wangen-Taff tests. The test is low and easy to manage.”
World Athletics announced CBC Sports that it introduced the Sry gene test last March after a decision by the Council and since “we developed the best accessible process and worked with many of our member associations”.
In A March 25, 2025 press release That referred to the genetic test. World Athletics explained that a test provider, the process and a timeline would be agreed in the coming weeks.
“You state that Sry -Gen -Tests are the direction you want, but there is no formal protocol, and it is not mentioned that the test for the World Cup in Tokyo is carried out,” said the first Canadian athlete. “Then World Athletics President Seb Coe announces hard politics on July 30th.”
O’clock | According to World Athletics, the Sry gene test is of crucial importance in order to maintain the integrity of the competition:
CBC Sports explains what is going on in the world of athletics.
“Important step to protect female category”
World Athletics added that the national championships were seen as a reasonable time for the member associations as “the majority of their athletes”, as there was no World Cup or Olympic Games in 2026.
“This is a first and important step to protect the female category,” said it, “from which we know that our associations actively support.”
Athletics Canada had 24 hours to form a Sry test protocol for the national championships that started the next day.
“Until then, the Jamaican national championships as well as others had taken place,” said the first Canadian athlete.
World Athletics said it would cover up up to 100 US dollars for the test costs for every athlete. For the Canadian athletes, Whitmee said: “Dynacare has offered to cover the costs for all collecting and testing new samples.
The first Canadian athlete carried out a Google search and found in some countries that the Sry -Gen -Test can cost up to 300 US dollars. Your Sry -Gen test in Europe cost 209 euros or 242.84 US dollars without a cheaper option.
“You are thinking about the costs in the (214 member) associations and 200,000 to 300,000 US dollars will be US dollars,” she said. “Why don’t we invest this money in anti-doping?
“I hate losing someone who endorsed much more than I hate to lose an intersex athlete,” added the Canadian athlete when she lost both. “Why does World Athletics put this on the associations if they could have offered this test in Japan (at the World Championships) and treated the costs?
The costs for Sry -gene tests vary depending on the country, World Athletics announced compared to CBC Sports, with some US dollars only cost $ 40. “We will know the final costs later this year.”
“Which countries?” Asked the athlete. “What about travel expenses if you have to test in another country?”
Many questions about the process remain unanswered, including the potential for a wrongly positive test and how athletes and associations would navigate in a narrow time frame.
In the meantime, Athletics Canada is expected to present his world championship team on Thursday.
