Open category for trans swimmers cancelled at World Cup after no one joins
The rules were changed by World Aquatics last year
World Aquatics has confirmed that a new ‘open’ category for trans swimmers has been cancelled at the Swimming World Cup after no one signed up for it.
The announcement came days before the start of the Berlin meet which is taking place between 6 and 8 October.
In a short statement on Tuesday (3 October) the swimming organisation, formerly known as FINA, said, “World Aquatics can confirm that no entries have been received for the Open Category events.”
It also added that the World Aquatics Open Category Working Group will working on the open category.
“Even if there is no current demand at the elite level, the working group is planning to look at the possibility of including Open Category races at Masters events in the future.”
The ‘open category’ was created last year after guidance was introduced to limit trans women’s participation in women’s categories.
Trans women have to demonstrate that they have “not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 or before age 12, whichever is later.”
The rules further state: “they have since continuously maintained their testosterone levels in serum (or plasma) below 2.5 nmol/L.”
If athletes do not meet these criteria, they are to compete in the ‘open category’.
“It’s not on”
However, a FINA spokesperson told the Associated Press last June that there are currently no transgender women competing in elite levels of swimming.
When World Aquatics announced it was banning trans women from elite swimming, it was blasted by the HRC as “discriminatory.” Tom Daley also said he was “furious” at the decision.
He continued: “Anyone that’s told that they can’t compete or can’t do something they love just because of who they are, it’s not on.”
Earlier this year, Swim England followed World Aquatics’s example and also created an ‘open category’.