I don’t want an athlete to be told that they can’t compete at the highest level
“I don’t want an athlete to be told that he can’t compete at the highest level,” Al Musallam said during an extraordinary FINA Congress, held on the sidelines of the World Swimming Championships, which kicked off on Saturday.
“I am going to set up a working group to create an open category in our competitions. We will be the first federation to do so“, he assured.
This FINA decision comes when swimming has been shaken by a Controversy regarding American transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.
The 22-year-old student, born male, this year became the first transgender swimmer to win a university degree in her country.
His mid-March victory in the 500-yard final had sparked a great deal of debate. His detractors had estimated that, having competed in the men’s category in the past, Lia Thomas benefited from an unfair physiological advantage over the rest.
During its Congress, FINA approved a new “inclusivity” policy, which will effectively exclude numerous transgender swimmers of women’s elite swimming.
FINA Director General Brent Nowicki stated that the organization was determined to maintain separate competitions for men and women.
FINA “recognizes that certain people may not be able to compete in the category that best corresponds to their legal gender or gender identity,” it added.
The men’s competition, on the other hand, would be open to everyone, but the athletes born male will not be able to compete in the female categories of FINA or setting world records.
Last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued guidelines on the issue, asking federations to draw up their own “sport-specific” rules.