We Noticed: DT Swiss Recall Expands to Include Swiss Side; World Athletics Begins Genetic Testing for Female Category

Stories that we’ve picked up in the scrapbook over the past couple of days:

Swiss Side Joins DT Swiss Wheel Recall; Certain Hadron Series Wheels Covered

Swiss Side, who uses DT Swiss for manufacturing capability, has announced a stop-ride notice and product recall on some models of its popular Hadron² and Hadron³ series of wheels.

The wheels covered by the recall are these specific models, delivered to customers beginning August 1, 2024:

• HADRON² All road 450
• HADRON² All road 450 Ultimate
• HADRON² Classic 500
• HADRON² Ultimate 500
• HADRON³ Classic 550
• HADRON³ Classic 650

These wheels were produced in the same manufacturing facility in Vietnam as the DT Swiss wheels covered by their recall, announced earlier this week. They also face the same concern: separation of the outer carbon layers away from the rim flange, which can then cause structural weakening of the rim bed. In some cases, this may result in catastrophic wheel failure.

Riders of Swiss Side wheels will use the DT Swiss recall website to see if their wheels are included, and follow the same procedure for shipping and replacement.

World Athletics Begins Gene Testing Female Athletes

World Athletics has revealed a gene testing program for athletes wishing to compete in the female categories, with testing beginning with this week’s US Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

All athletes wishing to compete as females will take a test for the SRY gene, which World Athletics says is “a reliable proxy for determining biological sex.” Testing is performed either by a cheek swab or a blood test, “whichever is more convenient.” US Track and Field, for this week’s Championships, will be utilizing the cheek swab.

In a statement, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said, “The philosophy that we hold dear in World Athletics is the protection and the promotion of the integrity of women’s sport. It is really important in a sport that is permanently trying to attract more women that they enter a sport believing there is no biological glass ceiling. The test to confirm biological sex is a very important step in ensuring this is the case.”

Athletes who test positive for the SRY gene will no longer be eligible to compete in world ranking competitions in the female category. They may compete in non-world ranking events, or in male/open categories. Eligibility appeals will only be heard by the Court for Arbitration for Sport.

Athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD) conditions, such as Caster Semenya, Christine Mboma, and Francine Niyonsaba, would likely be impacted. According to the footnotes, unless athletes with certain DSD conditions also have “an established 46XY condition called Complete Androgen Insensitivity (CAIS), this athlete is ineligible to compete in the female category in a world ranking competition.”

The World Athletics Eligibility Rule 3.5 states that the female category is open to the following athletes:

a. Biological females.

b. Biological females who have used testosterone as part of male gender-affirming treatment further to a Therapeutic Use Exemption granted in accordance with World Athletics’ Anti-Doping Rules may not compete in the female category until the passing of a period of time after their last use of testosterone (the period of time will be not shorter than four years and will be determined by World Athletics on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration all relevant factors including the timing, duration, dosages and effects of the male gender-affirming treatment).

c. Biological males who have Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome and therefore have not gone through male sexual development including any type of male puberty.

d. Biological males with a difference of sex development who satisfy the transitional provisions issued by World Athletics.