FINA medical official hopes transgender-athlete policies are model for other sports

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A top FINA medical official said Monday that the international governing body for elite swimming’s new policy on transgender athletes was the "best outcome" for the future of the sport.

The "gender inclusion policy" will only permit swimmers who transitioned before the age of 12 to compete in women’s events. FINA members voted 71.5% in favor of the new policies with the possibility of the organization creating an "open category" on the table. The new rules went into effect for competitions beginning Monday.

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Pennsylvania's Lia Thomas prepares to swim the women's 500-yard freestyle final at the NCAA swimming and diving championships (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

"To my mind, FINA’s approach to this was very enlightened, it was very balanced, it was informed," David Gerrard, the vice chairman of FINA’s Sports Medicine Committee, told Reuters. "It recognized the athlete’s voice, the scientific, objective evidence and the somewhat more subjective, human rights (and) legal issues which were argued very forcefully by the lawyers present.

"I hope that that model is something that's considered by other sports."

Gerrard, a former New Zealand Olympian, added fairness in the sport was a main issue FINA was trying to confront and predicted it will still be an issue.

"It is an issue that we’re going to have to confront, and the debate is going to continue," he said. "But when it comes to fairness and when it comes to safety, you’ve got to draw a line in the sand."

In the 24-page policy released Sunday, FINA spelled out how transgender men and women will be allowed to compete under the new rules.

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