World Athletics votes to tighten transgender rules

STORY: Coe told a news conference that the decision to exclude transgender women was based "on the overarching need to protect the female category."

The governing body had previously floated the option of transgender athletes being allowed to compete in the female category if they, too, maintained testosterone levels below 2.5 nanomoles per liter for 24 months.

Yet it said on Thursday that it became apparent there was little support within the sport for that proposal.

The council also voted to tighten restrictions on athletes with Differences in Sex Development (DSD), cutting the maximum amount of plasma testosterone for athletes in half, to 2.5 nanomoles per liter from five.