Fina stops transgender swimmers from competing in women's elite events

[Kendodd]

Common sense.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/swimming/61853450

The policy is really carefully written focussing on inclusion but sticking to the principle of women's sport for women and defining categories without reference to gender woowoo.

All athletes must certify their chromosomal sex with their Member
Federation in order to be eligible for FINA competitions. Failure to do so, or
provision of a false certification, will render the athlete ineligible

Decisive voting to keep the women’s category for females.

Oh I agree with you wholeheartedly Past but this is a step out of the ridiculous nonsense that has been embedded to date, it absolutely should never have come to this.

One would like to think so. However....the tin foil hat gang wont like this because not only do they think they are women, no one else is allowed to think otherwise either-cue a load more toy throwing.....

About bloody time.

This is absolutely the correct decision for women’s sport. Well done to FINA, now it’s over to cycling, athletics, rowing etc etc.

There is only one workable, inclusive solution to these issues which both preserves the integrity of women’s sport and offers everyone the opportunity to compete. A ‘Women’ category in sport, in which only biological females are allowed to participate and an ‘Open’ category for everyone else.

All athletes must certify their chromosomal sex with their Member
Federation in order to be eligible for FINA competitions. Failure to do so, or
provision of a false certification, will render the athlete ineligible

All the requirements for eligibility are hard core, the tantrums that will be thrown about them will be epic.

Best news I've heard in a long time. As an ex swimmer, really pleased its swimming that is leading the way in common sense.

I’m delighted and so proud that the sport I partake in has lead the way

I do so hope that this is the beginning of a real change and a welcome arrival of common sense

Completely agree VestofAbsurdity . It's uncompromising - scientifically, legally and ethically.
It feels momentous as sport has been so captured by the anti women ideologues that it seemed as if women's events would be dismantled within the year.Hopefully this will encourage other sporting bodies (who will know what they're doing is wrong) to recover their ethics and protect women's sport.

Yes Vest it's very welcome, overdue and bloody obvious.

Fantastic news!
It's also still fully inclusive as it has an open category.

Is Lia finished? Do college events count as “elite” events.

such a no-brainer for swimming. if you look at the heights, the hand and foot sizes etc of almost any competitive swimmer, of either sex, it's abundantly clear that physical size confers a huge advantage.

it might be possible to halfway plausibly argue that inclusion should win the day in a sport where short, physically slight, competitors are common. not not here.

I suspect they don't count as elite events QuebecBagnet BUT swimmers progress through these competitions to the elite events. So any college or club giving places to the Lia's of the world will be wasting a place, resources and presumably their reputation as they will never be able to reach the pinnacle of a place in women's elite swimming - and it's the reputation for nurturing medal winners that a college relies on.

As the mother of a daughter who swims competitively (not elite!), this is welcome news.

Interestingly, reading the policy document the Athletes Group were concerned about fairness and opportunities for females and the Scientific Group were unequivocal about the advantages arising from male puberty. Accordingly, the Legal and Human Rights Group were tasked only with tweaking the policy to ensure a sex based female category was in place.

However....the tin foil hat gang wont like this because not only do they think they are women, no one else is allowed to think otherwise either-cue a load more toy throwing.....

Oh very true, but this leaves them with literally no defence other than 'we want to swim in the female category for validation'.

They aren't being stopped from competing, they'll be an elite category and there will almost certainly be plenty of sponsors and training opportunities so no one's career will be over.

Sanity.

Amusingly it was DH who told me this!

That policy sounds well thought out. Bravo!

Mine too! He's becoming more and more aware - and more and more outraged

Let's be clear this is not a ban on transgender swimmers, so therefore it is not a transphobic policy.

It is a ban on any competitor in the women's categories who has gone through male puberty.

This is a sensible policy and cannot be considered discriminatory either.

Which is good news. From what I see of trans medication and impact on health they should be doing a lot of exercise to keep bones and heart healthy.

Good news. Now remove LT times and medals from the record books and give the awards to the women.