"I thought we were going back to days where women had to strip naked"- Jamaican hurdler shares first impressions on new gender verification rules

Jamaican hurdler Danielle Williams strongly questioned the new rule issued by World Athletics just ahead of the World Championships. The federation implemented the SRY gene test, requiring all athletes wishing to compete in the female category to undergo a once-in-a-lifetime procedure, considered a reliable method for determining biological sex.

Speaking about the test, the Jamaican hurdler said it reminded her of the dark days when women were forced to strip to prove their sex. While she admitted she did not fully understand the regulations, she believed athletes had no choice but to comply. She added that some athletes had raised concerns, but if someone was born a certain way, “you can’t combat that.”

“To be honest, I didn’t really understand it. When I first heard of it I thought we were going back to the days where women had to strip naked and prove that they were women. But if they feel that is the best way to even the playing field, then we just had to abide by their laws and get it done,” Williams said.

The Jamaican hurdler further added:

“Definitely, we saw some questionable women turn up and we were like, ‘Uhh..’ If that’s the way you’re born, I don’t know how you’re going to combat that. If you’re born that way, you’re born that way.”

The new regulations came into effect on 1 September 2025 and were applicable at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, which began on 13 September. The testing protocol was overseen by Member Federations and was conducted via either a cheek swab or a blood test, depending on convenience.

Gender verification tests had varied over time. In the 1960s and early 1970s, women athletes at major competitions were subjected to humiliating “nude parades” or “gender verification tests,” where they were forced to strip naked in front of doctors to prove they were female. Later, this shifted to chromosome testing, then testosterone regulations, and most recently, the introduction of the SRY gene test.

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All about Jamaican hurdler Danielle Williams’ World Athletics Championships run

Day 2 - World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 - Source: Getty

Reigning world champion Danielle Williams won the second heat of the women’s 100m hurdles, clocking 12.40s. She finished well ahead of Alaysha Johnson of the USA, who recorded 12.76s for second place. France’s Sacha Alessandrini followed in 12.99s, taking the third qualifying spot.

The women’s 100m hurdles semi-finals are scheduled for 15 September at 21:06 JST, followed by the final later that evening at 22:20 JST.

Edited by Amitha Reji George