Fina will also seek to create an “open” category in competitions for swimmers whose gender identity is different from their birth sex. The new policy, which was voted with 71% of the vote by 152 members of Fina, was described as “only a first step towards full integration” for trans athletes. The 34-page policy document states that transgender male-to-female athletes are still eligible to compete in the women’s category “provided they have not experienced any part of male adolescence beyond the Tanner 2 stage.” [which marks the start of physical development]or before 12, whichever is later “. The decision was made during an extraordinary general conference at the ongoing World Championships in Budapest. It means that transgender American swimmer Leah Thomas, who has expressed a desire to compete for a place in the Olympics, will be excluded from the women’s category. Earlier, Fina members listened to a report by a transgender panel consisting of leading figures from the worlds of medicine, law and sports. “Fina’s approach to policy-making has been comprehensive, science-based and inclusive, and, above all, Fina’s approach has focused on competitive justice,” said Brent Nowicki, executive director of the governing body. Fina President Husain Al-Musallam said the organization was working to “protect the rights of our athletes to compete” but also to “protect competitive justice”. He said: “Fina will always welcome every athlete. Creating an open class will mean that everyone has the opportunity to compete at the elite level. This has not been done in the past, so Fina should lead. I want all athletes to feel that they are involved in being able to develop ideas during this process “. Former British swimmer Sharon Davis, who has spoken out against transgender participation in the women’s swimming elite, told BBC Sport she was “really proud of Fina”. “Four years ago, along with 60 other Olympians, I wrote to the ILO and said, ‘Please do science first,’ and no government body has done science so far,” he said. “This is what Fina has done. They have done the science, they have the right people on the boat, they have talked to the athletes and the coaches. “Swimming is a sport that does not involve exclusions, we love everyone to come and swim and do something. But the cornerstone of sport is that it must be fair and equitable for both sexes. Asked if Fina’s policy left trans athletes “empty” while waiting for an open category to be created, Davies praised Fina for discussing trans inclusion that should “have happened five years ago”. “Sport is exclusive by definition – we do not have 15-year-old boys competing under the age of 12, we do not have heavyweight boxers with bandams, the reason we have so many different categories at the Paralympics is so that we can create fair opportunities for everyone “, he said. “So that’s the meaning of having sports rankings and the only people who would lose were women – they lost their right to a fair sport.” However, “Athlete Ally” – an LGBT advocacy group that organized a letter of support for Thomas in February – described the new policy as “biased, harmful, unscientific and not in line with ILO 2021 principles”. “The eligibility criteria for the women’s category, as defined in the policy, govern the bodies of all women and will not be enforced without a serious violation of the privacy and human rights of any athlete who wants to compete in the women’s category,” said Anne. Lieberman, Group Policy and Program Director.
Swimming follows cycling in a change of rules
Fina’s decision follows a move Thursday by the UCI, the governing body of cycling, to double the time before a male-to-female rider can compete in women’s races. The subject of swimming has been brought to the fore by the experiences of the American Thomas. In March, Thomas became the first known trans-swimmer to win the highest U.S. national swimming title with a victory in the women’s 500 yards freestyle. Thomas swam for the Pennsylvania men’s team for three seasons before embarking on hormone replacement therapy in the spring of 2019. She has since broken a record for her university’s swimming team. More than 300 college, team and Olympic swimmers have signed an open letter in support of Thomas and all trans and non-binary swimmers, but other athletes and organizations have expressed concerns about trans inclusion. Some of Thomas’s teammates and their parents wrote anonymous letters in support of her right to go, but added that it was unfair for her to fight as a woman. USA Swimming updated its policy on select swimmers in February to allow trans athletes to swim in elite races, along with criteria aimed at reducing any unfair advantage, including testosterone tests for 36 months before races. Last year, New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first open trans athlete to compete in the Olympics in a different gender category than the one in which they were born.
What did the team of experts say?
Dr. Michael Joyner, physiologist and leading expert on human performance “Testosterone in male adolescence changes the physiological determinants of human performance and explains the gender-based differences in human performance, which are clearly seen at the age of 12 years. “Even if testosterone is suppressed, the effects that improve its performance will be maintained.” Dr. Adrian Jjuuko, activist, researcher and lawyer “Politics emphasizes that no athlete is excluded from the Fina race or sets a Fina record based on legal gender, gender identity or gender expression. “[The proposed open category] should not be a category that adds to the already existing levels of discrimination and marginalization against these groups. “I see this policy as just the first step towards full integration and support for the participation of trans athletes and athletes of the opposite sex in water sports, and much more needs to be done.” Dr. Sandra Hunter, an exercise physiologist specializing in gender and age differences in athletic performance “At the age of 14 and over, the difference between boys and girls is significant. This is due to the advantages shown due to the normal adaptations to testosterone and the possession of the Y chromosome. “Some of these natural benefits are of structural origin, such as height, limb length, heart size, and lung size and will be maintained even with the suppression or reduction of testosterone that occurs during the transition from male to female ‘. Summer Saunders, former Olympian and world champion in swimming “This is not easy, there must be categories – women, men and of course a category for trans women and trans men. “Fair competition is a stronghold and a key element of our community – this approach protects the integrity of the existing sporting process in which millions of girls and women participate each year.”
One of the biggest discussions in sports
The debate over the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports has divided views both inside and outside the sport. Many argue that trans women should not compete in women’s sport because of the benefits they may retain – but others argue that sport should be more inclusive. World Athletics President Lord Coe said the “whole” and “future” of women’s sports would be “very fragile” if sports organizations mishandled regulations for trans athletes. At the heart of the debate over whether trans women should compete in women’s sport involves the complex balance of inclusion, sporting justice and safety – essentially, whether trans women can compete in women’s divisions without giving them an unfair advantage or advantage. risk of injury competitors. Trans women have to follow a set of rules to compete in certain sports, including in many cases lowering their testosterone levels by a certain amount, for a set period of time, before competing. There are concerns, however, as highlighted in Fina’s decision, that athletes retain an advantage of male adolescence that is not treated by lowering testosterone.
