The governing body for international swimming approved new policies for transgender swimmers that will go into effect starting on June 20.
In a notice (pdf) on June 19, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) said it will only allow biological male swimmers who have reached puberty before the age of 12 to compete in women’s events. About 72 percent of FINA members voted in favor of the directive to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women’s competitions and create an “open” category for them.
The debate intensified after University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male who publicly identifies as a female, became the first transgender NCAA champion in women’s Division I history after winning the women’s 500-yard freestyle earlier this year. The win drew significant backlash from female swimmers, activists, and other athletes, including Thomas’s teammates….