Lia Thomas Banned from Women’s Events After FINA Announces Rule Change for All Transgender Swimmers
On June 19, the International Swimming Federation took a stand on transgender athletes the NCAA has refused to take. Lia Thomas and many other transgender swimmers have been officially banned from competing in women’s…
On June 19, the International Swimming Federation took a stand on Transgender athletes the NCAA has refused to take.
Lia Thomas and many other Transgender swimmers have been officially banned from competing in women’s events on the world stage.
According to YahooSports!, 71.5 percent of the sport’s governing body, known by its French acronym FINA, voted for the new policy.
That being the case, the decision is far from a full-on ban of transgender competition.
Specifically, the new policy dictates that Transgender swimmers must “have completed their transition by age 12 to be able to compete.”
This does not mean that FINA supports early childhood transitioning, however.
“This is not saying that people are encouraged to transition by the age of 12. It’s what the scientists are saying, that if you transition after the start of puberty, you have an advantage, which is unfair,” James Pearce, the spokesperson for FINA president Husain Al-Musallam, told