FINA voted Sunday to ban transgender women from competing in women’s categories if they have gone through any part of the male puberty process. Transgender women who transitioned after age 12, such as NCAA champion Lia Thomas from Penn, will not be eligible for FINA competitions or world records in female categories under the new policy. FINA’s guidelines on transgender athletes passed with about 71.5% of the vote after a presentation by a panel of scientists, legal experts, and athletes. “FINA has an incredible opportunity to be the leaders in this policy that others can adopt and build upon,” Sanders added. To remove this distinction would be to the detriment of female athletes everywhere.”The Extraordinary General Congress also featured the election of the first members on the newly-established Aquatics Integrity Unit.

Source: New York Times June 19, 2022 22:03 UTC