Swimming aims to become “the first sport” to put into operation an “open category” in which transgender athletes can compete, announced this Sunday in Budapest Husain Al Musallam, president of the International Federation (FINA).
“I don’t want an athlete to be told that he can’t compete at the highest level,” Al Musallam said during an extraordinary Congress of the FINEheld on the marking of the World Swimming Championships, which started on Saturday.
“I am going to set up a working group to create an open category in our competitions. We will be the first federation to do so,” he assured.
This decision of the FINE comes as swimming has been rocked by a controversy surrounding the American transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.
The 22-year-old student, born male, this year became the first transgender swimmer to win a university degree in her country.
His mid-March victory in the 500-yard final had sparked a great deal of debate. Her detractors had estimated that, having competed in the men’s category in the past, Lia Thomas benefited from an unfair physiological advantage over the rest of her.
After the announcement of the creation of that “open category” the reactions did not take long to follow one another.
Just after her 200 meter medley world champion title in Budapest, the American alex walsh welcomed the FINA initiative.
“I’m happy that the FINE and the different federations do not launch themselves into investigations but rather re-evaluate the rules. I don’t know what the real solution is for things to remain equal, but obviously I want everyone to be able to compete and as long as they find a way to do so, I’m happy. I think the goal of FINA and what they’re going to do is what’s best for the whole world,” she stated.
controversial issue
During its Congress, FINA approved a new “inclusivity” policy, which will effectively exclude many transgender swimmers from elite women’s swimming.
Brent NowickieFINA Director General, stated that the organization was determined to hold separate competitions for men and women.
FINA “recognizes that certain people may not be able to compete in the category that best corresponds to their legal gender or gender identity,” it added.
The men’s competition, by contrast, would be open to all, but athletes born male will not be able to compete in the FINA women’s categories or set world records.
A decision that is considered unfair by Athlete Allya group in defense of athletes LGBTQwhich reacted on Twitter: “The new FINA eligibility criteria for transgender athletes and athletes with intersex variations are discriminatory, harmful, unscientific and not in accordance with the principles of the IOC of 2021. If we really want to protect women’s sport, we must include all women.”
Last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued guidelines on the matter, asking federations to draw up their own rules “specific to their sport”