Lia Thomas

With the new vote, FINA, which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee, will ban transgender athletes who transitioned after age 12. The ...

It comes following an intense debate over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports. At the heart of the debate has been US swimmer Lia Thomas, ...

The decision was made during FINA's extraordinary general congress on the sidelines of the world championships in Budapest after members heard a report from a transgender task force comprising leading medical, legal and sports figures. In a previous interview with GB News, Davies said of the transgender issue in women's sports: 'We cant feel our way out of reality. Now other sports have to follow this example.' We will be the first federation to do that.' One wrote: 'Finally someone in sport has some commons sense. She was blocked from competing following an 11th-hour intervention from world cycling's governing body, the UCI 'Why are we asking females to accept competing with a known disadvantage before we even start? The new policy will require transgender competitors to have completed their transition by the age of 12 in order to be able to compete in women's competitions. Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies MBE, who has advocated for equality and fairness in sport and has spoken out against transgender swimmers in women's races, tweeted of FINA's news British Olympian Sharron Davies MBE, who has advocated for equality and fairness in sport and has spoken out against transgender swimmers in women's races, tweeted of FINA's news. British Olympian Sharron Davies MBE, who has advocated for equality and fairness in sport and has spoken out against transgender swimmers in women's races, tweeted of FINA's news Under FINA's new ruling, transgender competitors will have had to have completed their transition by the age of 12 in order to be able to compete in women's competitions - meaning Thomas will no longer be eligible to compete in female categories.

It took a while, but common sense finally prevailed about transgender female athletes as world swimming's governing body voted on Sunday to protect female ...

It was always unfair to the female athletes, but the adults protecting college student-athletes were too afraid to do the right thing. FINA was dedicated to "protect the rights of our athletes to compete," but he had enough courage to emphasize the responsibility to "protect competitive fairness." The creation of an open category will mean that everybody has the opportunity to compete at an elite level,” Musallam said.

In one of the most concrete decisions taken by an Olympic sports body on the issue, the world swimming federation FINA voted to restrict the participation ...

As per the NCAA rules, transgender women were required to undergo 12 months of hormone therapy to be able to compete in women's events. USA Swimming, however, laid out that timeframe for three years, which Thomas fell short of then in March. The NCAA, though, chose to stick to its rule for the season and allow Thomas to take part in the Atlanta meet. Not that Thomas has been walking the lonely path entirely. While participation of transgender athletes remains a contentious subject cutting across sport at the elite level with international federations asked to set their own eligibility rules, Thomas has been at the heart of its debate in swimming. Yet, technically, Thomas had ticked every rule mandated by the NCAA to ensure her participation as a woman. In its revised policy formed basis a report from a task force of prominent medical, legal and sports figures, male-to-female transgender athletes can only compete if "they can establish ... that they have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 (of puberty) or before age 12, whichever is later". There is no restriction for participation of female-to-male athletes.

The governing body of world swimming has approved restrictions on the participation of transgender athletes in top competitions. Only athletes who have ...

The new rules received 71% of the vote Sunday from the 152 FINA members meeting at the world championships in Budapest, after a transgender task force that included medical, legal, and sports representatives presented its report on the issue. The policy, which AP calls effectively a ban, takes effect today. The vote also gave a working group six months to create an open category in which transgender swimmer could compete in certain events.

Riley Gaines praised the world swimming body for overwhelmingly approving a policy to effectively ban transgender swimmers from competing against women.

"It's a huge time commitment," Gaines said. FINA voted to approve the new "gender inclusion policy" on Sunday, which bars athletes who transitioned after 12 years old from competing against women. "It's definitely a step in the right direction," Gaines told co-host Dana Perino. "I think this is kind of the first large governing body that has prioritized fairness in women's sports, and so while it's not everything, it's definitely a bold first step and a step in the right direction."