The governing body of world swimming, FINA, on Sunday voted on new eligibility rules that restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women’s competitions.
The policy is the strictest of any Olympic sports body and effectively prohibits transgender women who have gone through male puberty from competing in women’s events.
FINA also agreed to work to establish an “open” category for some events that would ensure that all swimmers had a chance to compete.
The decision means that swimmers like the American Lia Thomas will not be able to compete in the World Cup or the Olympics.
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Thomas became the first NCAA transgender champion in Division I history after winning the 500-yard women’s freestyle earlier this year.
The success of Thomas, who competed in the Pennsylvania men’s team for three years before making the transition and setting multiple program records with the women’s team, sparked widespread debate about the issues of inclusion and competitive equity. in swimming and sports in general.
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These are the background to the FINA decision and why this ruling is important to the world of sport:
Why did FINA make this decision?
There have been growing calls from former swimmers and coaches for the governing body to restrict the participation of transgender women in sports, which intensified after Thomas ’success at U.S. college championships.
Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online.
Proponents of trans participation argue that not enough research has been done on whether trans women have any advantage. Groups such as Athlete Ally have claimed that FINA’s new policy is “discriminatory, harmful, unscientific”.
Is it a ban for all transgender swimmers to compete?
The ruling only applies to elite competitions organized by FINA, such as its world championships, and competitions where FINA sets the eligibility criteria, mainly the Olympic Games. It also affects who is eligible to set a world female swimming record.
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It does not necessarily apply to national or regional competitions or lower level meetings. National federations could apply their own criteria for their competitions.
The ruling also only affects transgender athletes in women’s competitions. Women-to-man transgender athletes (transgender men) will continue to be eligible to compete in men’s races without any restrictions.
The creation of an ‘open category’, the details of which have yet to be resolved, would also create a space for transgender women to compete.
What evidence did FINA present before making a decision?
FINA’s new policy arose from a three-member working group: a sports group, a science and medicine group, and a legal and human rights group, which according to FINA studied “the best evidence available scientific, medical, and medical statistics on gender differences in sports performance and any associated benefits based on male sex “.
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FINA said the scientific group was made up of “independent experts in the fields of physiology, endocrinology and human performance, including specialists in gender differences in human performance and transgender medicine.”
Members of the group told FINA congress delegates in Budapest that the evidence showed that going through male puberty gave trans swimmers a physical advantage that was maintained even after hormone treatment as part of their work. transition.
What is the position of other sports?
In November, the International Olympic Committee issued a “framework” on the issue, leaving eligibility decisions to individual sports entities, but added that “until the evidence determines otherwise, it should not be considered that athletes have an unfair or disproportionate competitive advantage due to their variations in sex, physical appearance and / or transgender status ”.
Last year, New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics in a different gender category than she had been assigned at birth.
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Many sports organizations have allowed transgender women to compete in women’s events if they have lowered their testosterone levels to some extent.
Last week, the International Cycling Union (ICU) tightened its rules by increasing the transition period for low testosterone from 12 months to two years and halving the maximum level to 2.5 nmol / L. Read the whole story
The FINA ruling could increase pressure for similar moves within other sports.
Can the decision be challenged?
The normal way to challenge the decisions of international sports bodies is through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Other sports will be watching any legal move with great interest.
(Report by Simon Evans Toby Davis Edition)