The World Swimming Authority has resolved to limit the participation of transgender athletes in women’s events and will consider creating an “Open Competition” category. In the membership vote on Sunday.
FINA members voted 71.5% in favor of a policy requiring transgender swimmers to complete the transition by the age of 12 so that they can compete. By Associated Press. There are 152 all-union federations with voting rights. Voting applies to all events starting on Monday. Part of the policy on page 24 was a proposal for the “Open Competition” category.
“I don’t want to be told I can’t compete at the highest level,” said FINA President Hussain al-Musalam. Said. The organization said it would set up “a new working group to spend the next six months to consider the most effective ways to set this new category,” AP said.
This decision has the immediate impact on the University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas. The first transgender NCAA champion in Division I history When she won a women’s 500 yards freestyle in March. Thomas first transitioned as a woman from 2021 to 22 and competed with Penn’s male team before competing.Thomas meets NCAA standards for subsequent competition Receiving testosterone suppression therapy More than 2 years.
She wants to continue swimming after graduating from college and turned to the 2024 US Olympics trial.
It also limits NCAA swimmers as the organization said in January It will follow the decisions of national and international organizations.
FINA restrictions follow IOC recommendations
Voting took place at FINA’s extraordinary general meeting on Sunday from the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Members heard presentations from three groups of experts working together to formulate the policy. They consist of an athlete group, a science and medicine group, and a law and human rights group.
New path Follow the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Created last November, it encouraged us to seek evidence of when performance benefits exist, rather than focusing on individual testosterone levels. The IOC said athletes should not be excluded because they “have been found to have an unidentified, alleged, or unfair competitive advantage due to gender, appearance, or transgender status.”
The governing body is responsible for regulating its sport and setting policies regarding the participation of transgender athletes. Cycling operators last week updated the rules to set stricter restrictions on riders to wait longer for competition.
