Fina Votes To Ban Trans Swimmers From Women S Elite Races If They Go Through Male Adolescence

In addition, FINA will set up a working group to create an open competition category, open to athletes “regardless of their gender, legal gender or gender identity”. The sport’s new gender mainstreaming policy was approved by more than 70 percent of member federations at an extraordinary conference during the ongoing World Championships in Budapest. 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.” The 34-page FINA policy paper states that transgender female-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 the age of 12, whichever is later “. The move means that Leah Thomas, who in March became the first trans swimmer to win a major U.S. national college title, will no longer be eligible to compete in the women’s straightforward category. FINA’s announcement comes two weeks after the cycling governing body, the UCI, voted to double the time before a male-to-female rider can compete. PA