Swimming federation creates category for trans athletes – 03/08/2023 – Sport
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World Aquatics, the international body that regulates swimming, announced this Thursday (3) the creation of an “open category” to include transgender athletes.
Since last year, swimming has been one of the sports that has banned trans competitors from relevant events, such as world championships. The ban mainly affected trans women who transitioned after age 12.
In March 2022, American Lia Thomas helped to promote the debate around the subject after winning the 500-meter freestyle event at the NCAA championship, the entity responsible for organizing the main college sports programs in the United States.
Thomas became the first trans woman to win a national title in the sport.
This Thursday, even without giving details about the new category, Husain Al-Massallam, president of World Aquatics, said that swimming “should be open to everyone”.
“It’s a very complex subject”, he said. “But I am pleased to say that we are planning the first open category race and we hope to confirm, soon, the details. Our sport must be open to everyone.”
The leader also commented on the importance of protecting the holding of fair competitions for female athletes without “there being discrimination”, said Al-Massallam. “No one should be excluded from our competitions.”
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