(Berlin) World Aquatics, the World Swimming Federation, will launch an “open category” from the Berlin World Cup stop in early October to welcome transgender swimmers, the governing body announced on Wednesday.
In 2022, the Federation had banned transgender athletes from participating in major events such as the Olympics and the World Cup, while creating a working group to establish an “open category”.
In a statement released Wednesday, the body noted that the creation of this category shows its “unwavering commitment to inclusiveness, welcoming swimmers of all genders and gender identities”.
The “open category” will be for 50m and 100m distances in all strokes, but World Aquatics says the number of races could be expanded.
German Swimming Federation President Kai Morgenroth said “Berlin is delighted to support this ground-breaking initiative.” “We are proud to host an event where swimmers can compete without barriers.”
The British Rowing and Cycling Federations have also announced in recent months the creation of an “open category” for transgender and non-binary people.
At the international level, at the end of 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave up establishing uniform guidelines as to the criteria for the participation of intersex and transgender athletes, leaving the hand to the federations.
