The international body that governs swimming competitions has partially reversed a transgender athlete ban by announcing a new “open category” that will allow transgender athletes to compete.
On Tuesday, World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam said the debate over transgender athletes is a “very complex topic” but insisted, “Our sport must be open to everybody,” NBC News reported.
Al-Musallam did not say when the new category will be implemented, but it may be as early as this year.
“I am delighted to tell you today that we are now making plans for the first trial of an open category, and we hope to be able to confirm all the details soon,” Al-Musallam added during his announcement at the World Aquatics Congress in the southwestern Japanese city of Fukuoka.
World Aquatics had banned transgender athletes from being allowed to choose their own gender categories.
“It was very important that we protected fair competition for our female athletes,” Al-Musallam added. “But you have heard me say many times there should be no discrimination. Nobody should be excluded from our competitions.”
Transgender woman Lia Thomas (L) of the University of Pennsylvania stands on the podium after winning the 500-yard freestyle as other medalists (L-R) Emma Weyant, Erica Sullivan, and Brooke Forde pose for a photo at the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship on March 17, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The World Aquatic decision comes on the heels of a decision by competitive cycling’s international governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which officially banned male-born athletes from competing in the women’s category this month.
UCI released a lengthy statement on July 14 updating its policy barring any transgender woman cyclist from competing in women’s events if they transitioned after going through male puberty.
The new UCI rule is as close to a ban on trans athletes as you can get considering very few trans people “transition” before puberty.
The new rules will now replace the changes the UCI made in 2022 that lowered testosterone levels for trans cyclists. But that rules change still did not prevent male-born Austin Killips from winning title after title in the U.S.
Belgian Marion Norbert Riberolle, Dutch Denise Betsema, and American Austin Killips pictured on the podium after the women’s elite race of the ‘Kasteelcross’ cyclocross cycling event, race 7/8 in the ‘Exact Cross’ competition, Saturday 21 January 2023 in Zonnebeke. (DAVID PINTENS/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
UCI’s move comes on the heels of British Cycling’s decision to ban men from competing as women, a rule that went into effect in May.
Several other sports have also banned men claiming to be women from competing as women. In Sept. of last year, international Rugby passed a rule preventing male-born athletes from competing as women. Also, in Dec., pro disc golf banned men from competing as women.
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