The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) will not bring in sex testing for the women's category next season, which means no such tests at the 2027 Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun. Göteborgs-Posten and Langrenn.com both cite the newspaper Dagens Nyheter, and NRK and ski-nordique.net covered it too.
Sassi: not all details settled
FIS communications chief Bruno Sassi told Dagens Nyheter that not all the details were settled yet. He said the federation did not want to rush something this sensitive, so there would be no testing during the 2026/27 season. According to ski-nordique.net, this pushes the introduction back by at least one season.
Sassi said FIS will only publish a policy after it has decided three things:
- a start date,
- who will carry out the tests,
- who will pay for them.
Langrenn.com reports another open question: who is supposed to be tested.
The original plan
Langrenn.com reports that FIS approved mandatory sex testing in autumn 2025 for every athlete who wants to compete in the women's category. The rule was due to take effect from July 2026. Ski-nordique.net says FIS announced the tests a year ago, with a gradual rollout from July 2026 across all disciplines it governs. According to Dagens Nyheter, FIS intended to draw up an "eligibility policy" and trial it at the Falun championships in February and March 2027.
Cross-CountryItaly names 14 cross-country skiers for Grand Prix Sportful in FeltreThe test checks for the SRY gene. Langrenn.com reports that SRY-negative athletes would be allowed to compete in the women's category and SRY-positive athletes in the men's category, regardless of their gender identity. FIS says the tests are meant to protect women's sport.
Banned under Norwegian law
Several federations have already introduced such testing, including in athletics, boxing and tennis. Langrenn.com reports that the run-up to the athletics World Championships in Tokyo in autumn 2025 drew widespread reactions, both in Norway and internationally. Genetic tests like this are banned in Norway under the country's Biotechnology Act. At the Tokyo championships, athletes were tested in Japan, with World Athletics running the process.
Championship dates
Reports differ on the dates. Langrenn.com says the Falun Nordic Worlds will run from 22 February to 7 March 2027, while Göteborgs-Posten, citing Dagens Nyheter, gives February to March. Ski-nordique.net says both the Nordic and the Alpine World Championships are scheduled for February 2027 and that neither will include these checks.
