Explaining why she supported the position set out in the press release, Ms Strickler said “World Athletics themselves have said we are following the science on this one and it’s such a good step for women’s sport, especially athletics, to really put their foot down and say we are not going to let biological males in the women’s category”.  This went somewhat beyond the press release itself, which quoted the President of World Athletics as saying “Decisions are always difficult when they involve conflicting needs and rights between different groups, but we continue to take the view that we must maintain fairness for female athletes above all other considerations. We will be guided in this by the science around physical performance and male advantage which will inevitably develop over the coming years. As more evidence becomes available, we will review our position, but we believe the integrity of the female category in athletics is paramount”.  The ECU considered, however, that listeners in general would not have been materially misled by what they would have understood to be an interpretation of the press release by a strong supporter of one viewpoint in the controversy to which it related, and concluded there had been no breach of the BBC’s standards of accuracy.  As her exposition of that viewpoint was appropriately challenged by the interviewer, the ECU also concluded there had been no breach of the BBC’s standards of impartiality.

Not upheld