The participation of transgender athletes in competitive sports continues to be a controversial issue, specifically the inclusion of transgender women and girls in women's sports.
Some argue that transgender women who compete in a female category of sport have an unfair advantage in competition due to sex differences and human physiology. Others view banning transgender women as discriminatory, especially if they have undergone hormone replacement therapy that has been shown to negate the physical advantages they might hold over cisgender women.
Whereas some sports have created standards and policies to deal with the discrepancy, others have not.
On Sunday, swimming's world governing body, FINA, announced a new policy effective Monday that restricts transgender athletes' participation in elite women's competitions.
The regulation comes as University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas won the women's 500-yard freestyle event in March 2022. She also made history as the first known transgender person to capture a Division I national title, but under this new rule, she would be ineligible to compete in elite women's competitions.
Here's everything you need to know about the new FINA policy and other policies around transgender athletes:
What was FINA's ruling about transgender swimmers?
On Sunday, FINA voted to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women's swimming competitions.
The new rules state that those who transitioned before the age of 12 will be the only swimmers permitted to compete, effective on Monday. However, transitioning before puberty is not recommended by medical experts. Last week, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health lowered its recommended age for trans kids to begin hormone therapy to age 14 from age 16.
Any swimmer competing in women's races will also be required to maintain a testosterone level under 2.5 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L). According to the Mount Sinai Health system, normal testosterone levels for women are between 0.5 and 2.4 nmol/L....
After FINA ruling, do other sports restrict transgender athletes? | RSN