(Budapest) Swimming intends to become “the first sport” to set up an “open category” to allow transgender athletes to compete separately, announced Sunday in Budapest Husain Al-Musallam, president of the International Federation (Fina).
Posted yesterday at 12:45 p.m.
“I don’t want an athlete to be told he can’t compete at the highest level,” Al-Musallam told an extraordinary congress of the body held during the World Championships of swimming. “I will set up a working group to create an open category during our competitions. We will be the first federation to do so. »
The Fina decision comes as swimming has been rocked by a controversy over American transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.
The 22-year-old student, born male, had become the first transgender swimmer to win a university title in the spring.
His victory in mid-March in the final of the 500 yards had opened a wide debate, his detractors believing that having competed as a man in the past, Lia Thomas benefited from an unfair physiological advantage.
Fresh off her title as world champion in the 200m medley, her compatriot Alex Walsh cautiously hailed the Fina’s initiative. “I am happy that Fina and the various federations are not launching investigations but are reassessing the rules. I don’t really know what the right solution is to keep things fair, but obviously I want everyone to be able to compete and as long as they find a way to do that I’m happy. I believe that the goal of Fina and what they are going to do is what is best for everyone,” she said in Budapest.
“Inclusivity” Policy
At its congress, Fina adopted a new “inclusivity” policy, which will effectively exclude many transgender swimmers from elite women’s swimming. The federation, explained its chief executive, Brent Nowicki, is determined to maintain separate competitions for men and women.
Fina “recognizes that some individuals may not be able to compete in the category that best matches their legal gender alignment or gender identity,” he added.
“Each of us must always, within the limits of the principles of equity, ensure the inclusion of all individuals regardless of their gender orientation,” Nowicki continued.
Under these rules, the men’s competition would be open to all. On the other hand, athletes who were born male and became female will only be able to compete in women’s Fina categories, or set women’s world records, if they became female before puberty – “if they can establish that they have not lived no manifestation of male puberty,” in Nowicki’s terms.
An unfair decision for Athlete Ally, an advocacy group for LGBTQ athletes, who reacted on Twitter: “Fina’s new eligibility criteria for transgender athletes and athletes with intersex variations are discriminatory, harmful, not scientific and not in line with the IOC 2021 principles. If we really want to protect women’s sport, we must include all women. »
“Structural” advantages
Last year, the International Olympic Committee issued guidelines on the issue, while asking federations to develop their own “sport-specific” rules.
Fina had appointed three committees – one made up of medical experts, another of lawyers and the last of athletes – to examine the question. The medical committee found that men who became women retained advantages.
“Even with suppressing hormones, the sex benefits will be retained,” said one member, Dr.r Michael Joyner.
Some of the advantages men gain at puberty are “structural” and not lost with the suppression of hormones, said fellow member Dr.r Sandra Hunter of Marquette University in Milwaukee. “This includes things like bigger lungs and hearts, longer bones, bigger feet and hands. »
As for the swimmers, the Australian Cate Campbell, quadruple Olympic champion, took the floor to defend this position. “My role is to stand here today and tell transgender people that we want them to be part of the greater swimming community. […] but also to stand here and say […] ‘Listen to the science,'” she said.