{"id":496358,"date":"2022-02-01T13:16:40","date_gmt":"2022-02-01T20:16:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=496358"},"modified":"2022-02-01T14:18:46","modified_gmt":"2022-02-01T21:18:46","slug":"usa-swimming-releases-new-transgender-athlete-policy-evidence-of-mitigation-required","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/usa-swimming-releases-new-transgender-athlete-policy-evidence-of-mitigation-required\/","title":{"rendered":"USA Swimming Releases New Transgender Athlete Policy; Evidence of Mitigation Required"},"content":{"rendered":"

USA Swimming Releases New Transgender Athlete Policy; Evidence of Mitigation Required<\/strong><\/p>\n

In response to the growing awareness regarding gender inclusion and equity, USA Swimming has released a new policy concerning the topic.<\/p>\n

This issue of transgender women competing in women’s sports has continued to grow in the past few months, mostly surrounding Penn swimmer Lia Thomas<\/strong>, a transgender athlete who competed for the Penn men’s team for three years before completing the required one year of \u201ctestosterone supression treatment\u201d in order to be eligible to compete as a female.<\/p>\n

While Thomas has continued to follow all of the rules, many have argued that her situation goes against equity in women’s competition. As a result, USA Swimming drafted new guidelines.<\/p>\n

Here is what USA Swimming released as its policy:<\/em><\/p>\n

Following several months of internal work, critical stakeholder discussions, and medical and legal review, and in light of updated information regarding the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Internationale de Natation\u2019s (FINA) policy development, USA Swimming has elected to release its Athlete Inclusion, Competitive Equity and Eligibility Policy.<\/p>\n

This policy, effective immediately, is applicable only to USA Swimming athlete members and approved elite events as defined in the policy and will remain in place until the release of an elite policy by FINA.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Protection of Women\u2019s Sports (Now and Future) At the Heart Of Lia Thomas Situation<\/a>
\n\u2022 Guest Editorial: In Defense Of Lia Thomas and Her Right to Compete<\/a><\/p>\n

USA Swimming has and will continue to champion gender equity and the inclusivity of all cisgender and transgender women and their rights to participate in sport, while also fervently supporting competitive equity at elite levels of competition.<\/p>\n

The development of the elite policy therefore acknowledges a competitive difference in the male and female categories and the disadvantages this presents in elite head-to-head competition. This is supported by statistical data that shows that the top-ranked female in 2021, on average, would be ranked 536th<\/sup> across all short course yards (25 yards) male events in the country and 326th<\/sup> across all long course meters (50 meters) male events in the country, among USA Swimming members. The policy therefore supports the need for competitive equity at the most elite levels of competition.<\/p>\n

While recognizing the need for the aforementioned guidelines in elite competition, sport is an important vehicle for positive physical and mental health, and, for this reason, USA Swimming remains steadfast in its continued commitment to greater inclusivity at the non-elite levels.<\/p>\n

In order to balance these two priorities, specific guidelines have been developed for both non-elite and elite athletes and elite events. At the non-elite level, an inclusive process has been established by which an athlete can elect to change their competition category in order for them to experience the sport of swimming in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity and expression. At the elite level, a policy has been created for transgender athlete participation in the U.S. that relies on science and medical evidence-based methods to provide a level-playing field for elite cisgender women, and to mitigate the advantages associated with male puberty and physiology. Elite athletes shall include any athlete who has achieved a time standard and desires to participate in elite events as defined in the policy.<\/p>\n

The elite athlete policy will be implemented by a decision-making panel comprised of three independent medical experts and eligibility criteria will consist of:<\/p>\n