No registrations: transgender premiere falls through

At the Swimming World Cup in Berlin this weekend there will be no “open category” in which trans women and men would be allowed to compete. On Tuesday, the world association World Aquatics withdrew this category from the program for Berlin because there had been no registrations. This is a visible sign of the dilemma national and international associations find themselves in.

In mid-August, World Aquatics announced its world first: “This groundbreaking pilot project underscores the organization’s commitment to inclusion, welcoming swimmers of all genders and gender identities.” The “open category” was scheduled to make its debut with 50 and 100 meter races in all swimming styles.

The starting point of the hectic activity was the exclusion of American trans swimmer Lia Thomas from international competitions after she caused a sensation among women at the 2022 college championships. She underwent gender reassignment surgery for two years. World Aquatics was criticized for the exclusion and had to take action. However, the concept of a new category has flopped for the time being.

The world athletics association World Athletics, where there are repeated debates about the South African runner Caster Semenya, has already approved the composition and leadership of a working group on the topic. This is due to meet later this year. Other international sports associations have tightened their rules. The world cycling association UCI has excluded all trans athletes who have gone through male puberty. The world chess federation FIDE is similarly strict with trans athletes. You must go through a review process that can take up to two years.