Australian swimming star backs FINA's 'gender inclusion policy'

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Cate Campbell, a four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist for Australia, backed FINA’s new policies regarding transgender athlete participation on Monday.

In a speech to FINA’s congress, Campbell said the separation of the gender categories in swimming is one of the only reasons why women can be seen as equals in the sport. She said removing the distinction "would be to the detriment of female athletes everywhere."

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Cate Campbell of Team Australia reacts after winning the gold medal and breaking the Olympic record for the Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final on day nine of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on August 01, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

"We see you, value you and accept you. My role; however, is also to stand up here, having asked our world governing body, FINA, to investigate, deliberate and uphold the cornerstone of fairness in elite women’s competition," she said, via The Guardian. "And it pains me that this part of my role, may injure, infuriate and potentially alienate people from an already-marginalized trans community."

She said she had thought about what she was going to say and came to the conclusion that no matter what she said on the topic it would "anger" people.

"However, I am asking everyone to take a breath, to absorb before reacting. Listen to the science and experts. Listen to the people who stand up here and tell you how difficult it has been to reconcile inclusion and fairness," she added. "That men and women are physiologically different cannot be disputed. We are only now beginning to explore and understand the origins of