After at least a dozen scandals involving trans women dominating their biological female competitors in swimming championships, the world’s top swimming association finally decided to take a stand against this injustice.
What followed was a series of policy changes that will aim to level the playing field in women’s competitions. These changes are restricting trans “women” from competing in female categories at elite swimming events.
World Swimming Association prevents biological males from competing in women’s categories
This unconventional yet necessary move from FINA came after a vote from the organization’s governing body.
The vote decided competitive fairness outweighs the rights of athletes to compete, especially if someone’s rights allow them to invade a category where they have an unfair, biological advantage.
The new policies also present the option of there being a separate category for trans athletes. This is an idea that many opponents of the trans sports community have been suggesting for a while now.
FINA bans transgender swimmers, including Lia Thomas, from women’s events. Finally, common sense prevails!
— Hodgetwins (@hodgetwins) June 20, 2022
This would allow trans athletes to compete at an elite level and equal level.
Although anyone with basic knowledge in biology will tell you that biological males’ bodies are far physically stronger than those of biological females, on average.
However, the inclusion of a trans-only category may end up being considered a bit too radical, especially by the “woke” left.
It is bound to claim the change infringes on trans rights, so FINA will have to lead the way with great resolve.
Lia Thomas’ career goes down the drain
However, the policy did end up having a “loophole,” as some would call it.
Biological males who have been taking puberty suppression therapy before age 12 are still allowed to compete under these new rules.
More specifically, this applies to trans females that managed to keep their testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol/L.
This isn’t exactly something that levels the playing field, considering the fact they’re still a male in every sense of the word. DNA isn’t something we have the technology to change yet.
FINA: Trans women have an advantage because they are physically different to cis women
Also FINA: Trans women are so indistinguishable from cis women we need to do chromosomal testing to make sure they can't compete
— Penny (@abstractslug) June 20, 2022
If anything, the infamous athlete Lia Thomas, who’d been barely average in his default gender’s category, will no longer be able to participate in elite swim meets.
This is finally allowing some female competitors to reach their hard-earned goals. Thomas, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have taken the hint.
He announced he’s planning to swim in the Olympic trials, much to the dismay of the hundreds of respectable female athletes who openly criticized his decision to compete in female categories.
I can’t tell you how proud I am of my sport @fina & @fina_president for doing the science, asking the athletes/coaches and standing up for fair sport for females. Swimming will always welcome everyone no matter how you identify but fairness is the cornerstone of sport https://t.co/1IaMkIFOkX
— Sharron Davies MBE (@sharrond62) June 19, 2022
Even former UK swimming champion Sharron Davies agreed with FINA’s decision to implement the change.
She reminded us that four years ago, she and 60 other Olympic medalists wrote to the IOC, demanding they “do the science,” before deciding what’s fair and what isn’t.
FINA did exactly that, garnering the respect of female athletes across the globe. Despite the handful of LGBT organizations that proclaimed the decision as transphobic, it remains a step in the right direction for women’s sports.
