[SPUTNIKNEWS] The international sports federation for swimming (FINA) has ruled that transgender athletes who went through male puberty can't compete in female races.According to Husnain al-Musallam, president of FINA, a separate "open category" will be set up to separate trans athletes to compete in their own class.
| Good idea. |
Under the new rules, trans athletes will be required to have completed their transition by the age of 12 in order to be able to take part in women's competitions.
FINA's ruling means that American swimmer Lia Thomas will no longer be allowed to compete against women. Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win NCAA Division I national championship in any sport, after demonstrating the best results in the women's 500-yard freestyle event in March 2022. Before starting hormone replacement therapy in 2019, Thomas competed for the Pennsylvanian men's team for three seasons.
Some sports doctors have suggested that Thomas, as well as other trans female athletes, have been having unfair advantage because they had gone through male puberty.
Thomas, for her part, argued that "trans women are not a threat to womne's sport", adding that anyone banning her from competing as a woman is "transphobic".
Dude. Shut the F*CK up.
Related:
Transgender athletes: 2022-03-07 Iowa State Lawmakers Finally End the Madness, Ban Trans Athletes from Competing in Female-Only Sports
Transgender athletes: 2022-02-05 South Dakota bans transgender women from competing on female sports teams - the 10th state to do so: Lawmakers used record-smashing UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas as proof of unfair advantage
Transgender athletes: 2021-10-16 Texas House passes bill banning transgender athletes from participating in school sports based on their gender identity
Transgender athletes: 2022-03-07 Iowa State Lawmakers Finally End the Madness, Ban Trans Athletes from Competing in Female-Only Sports
Transgender athletes: 2022-02-05 South Dakota bans transgender women from competing on female sports teams - the 10th state to do so: Lawmakers used record-smashing UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas as proof of unfair advantage
Transgender athletes: 2021-10-16 Texas House passes bill banning transgender athletes from participating in school sports based on their gender identity