FINA will explore the introduction of an “open” category for them in certain events as part of its new policy. The new policy was voted on by a majority of about 71% after it was introduced to the members of 152 national federations with voting rights that had gathered for the congress at Puskas Arena. It will require transgender contestants to have completed their transition by the age of 12 to be able to compete in women’s races. A FINA statement stated that trans male-to-female athletes would only be eligible to compete if “they can demonstrate FINA’s comfortable satisfaction that they have not experienced any part of male adolescence beyond Tanner 2 (adolescence) or before the age of 12, which is later “. FINA President Husain Al-Musallam said: “We must protect the rights of our athletes to compete, but we must also protect competitive justice in our competitions, especially in the women’s category at FINA Games. “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 included in the ability to develop ideas during this process “. Trans rights have been debated as sports seek to balance participation, while ensuring that there is no unfair advantage. The controversy erupted when University of Pennsylvania swimmer Leah Thomas became the first NCAA trans-champion in Class I history to win the women’s 500-yard freestyle earlier this year. New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard followed last year to become the first trans athlete to compete in the Tokyo Olympics. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:17 The first trans athlete for the Games was selected FINA’s new policy also opens up eligibility to those who have “a complete lack of androgen sensitivity and therefore could not experience male adolescence”. Athletes who had “suppressed male puberty starting at Tanner stage 2 or before the age of 12, whichever is later, and since then have maintained serum (or plasma) testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol / L” . are also allowed to compete in women, FINA reported. He added that transgender athletes from women to men (trans men) are fully eligible to compete in men’s swimming competitions. Athlete Ally, an LGBTQ sports defense team, responded to the announcement by saying the eligibility criteria were “biased”. Uploaded to Twitter:[It] “It is biased, harmful, unscientific and does not comply with the principles of the ILO of 2021. If we really want to protect women’s sports, we must include all women.” But Sports Secretary Nadine Dorries has voiced support for FINA’s move. The cabinet minister also stressed that “it is important that trans women who want to compete can compete” having their own category. When asked about Fina’s decision on LBC, she said: “Yes, I think it’s absolutely the right decision they made and I will encourage other sports (to do the same). “It is simply unacceptable for trans women to compete in the women’s sport.” And former British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies wrote on Twitter her joy for the news. He said: “I can not tell you how proud I am of my sport @fina & @fina_president doing science, asking athletes / coaches and defending the fair sport for women. Swimming will always welcome everyone no matter how you are identify, but justice is the cornerstone of sport “. In May, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said sport could not have a unified approach to trans inclusion. Controversy over the participation of trans athletes in women’s categories has made headlines in cycling, swimming, weightlifting and other sports in the past year. Cycling Olympian Katie Archibald criticized the world governing body for her sport, the UCI, last month for its trans policies, with trans athlete Emily Bridges finally eliminated from the British Omnium Championships. Image: Lia Thomas became the first NCAA trans champion in Division I history Lord Coe, president of World Athletics, said the integrity of women’s sports was “fragile” if the federations did not do it right. There have been calls for an open category in which trans athletes could enter. Mr Bach said the IOC had and would continue to assist sport to make “science-based decisions”. He told a news conference in May: “There is no one-size-fits-all solution. I think we all agree that this is about creating fair competition. At the grassroots level, sport has to be inclusive, everyone has to have access to sport. “When it comes to competition as a sport, we have to ensure fair competition. That means you have to discover sport by sport, even discipline by discipline, where there may be an unfair advantage.”
