It's official. World Athletics has approved the introduction of a one-time genetic test for elite athletes who wish to compete in the women's category at international events.

Head of World Athletics Lord Sebastian Coe says that the tests will help to completely end the stigma around gender parity, especially in women's sports, with the advent of transgender persons in society.

The testing as it stands, will likely be included as part of the list of competitors demands ahead of the World Championships that will take place in Tokyo Japan this September.

The "pre-clearance requirement" is among several recommendations that have been approved at the World Athletics Council meeting to tighten regulations concerning the eligibility of transgender and difference of sex development (DSD) athletes.

Coe said on Tuesday: "It's important to do it because it maintains everything that we've been talking about, and particularly recently, about not just talking about the integrity of women's sport, but guaranteeing it.

"We feel this is a really important way of providing confidence and maintaining that absolute focus on the integrity of competition."

A cheek swab test would be used to look for the SRY gene which determines Gender, while a dried blood spot test could also be used to determine an athlete's testosterone levels, in addition to the presence of the SRY gene, the BBC reports.

Coe added that the consultation was "widely held" and "exhaustive" and had received feedback from over 70 individual groups.

When asked whether he felt the policy would stand up to legal challenge, he said: "Yes I am, but you accept the fact that that is the world we live in."