Swimming World Cup will have category for transgender athletes – News of Brazil
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World Aquatics, the International Water Sports Federation, formerly Fina, announced this Wednesday (16) that this year’s Swimming World Cup, to be held from October 6 to 8 in Berlin (Germany), will have an “open” category. ”. This is a pilot initiative that will allow transgender athletes to participate in the competition.
According to the entity, the category will have events of 50 and 100 meters in all styles, with the possibility of including new disputes. Swimmers must be affiliated with an international federation and may participate individually or representing the country or club they represent.
“When World Aquatics instituted its eligibility policy for both men’s and women’s competition categories, it was committed to exploring the creation of an open category. True to our word, a team of experts worked diligently to make this a reality.”said the president of the federation, Husain Al-Musallam, in a press release.
The vice-president of the German Swimming Federation, Kai Morgenroth, also celebrated the initiative. “We are proud to host an event where swimmers will be able to compete without barriers. Berlin is Germany’s center of diversity and inclusion and therefore the perfect location for such a progressive project.”
The discussion about the presence of transgender athletes in official swimming competitions gained strength in March last year, after the North American Lia Thomas won the 500m freestyle event at the NCAA (National University Athletic Association), the main event college sports in the United States. She was the first trans swimmer to win a national title in the sport.
Three months later, the international federation announced a restriction on the participation of trans women who have experienced male puberty – that is, who have not completed the gender transition before the age of 12. In March of this year, World Athletics, the International Athletics Federation, took a similar decision.
Source: Brazil Agency
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