The premiere of an idea celebrated as a revolution 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 by the registration deadline on September 30th. This is a visible sign of the dilemma national and international associations find themselves in. “Competitive sport and inclusion are mutually exclusive”says Conny-Hendrik Schälicke from the sports working group in the Federal Trans* Association.
The world’s first reaches its limits
In mid-August, World Aquatics announced its world first: “This groundbreaking pilot 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. More competitions could be added, it said.
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, in such a short amount of time it was not possible to develop a concept that was well thought out down to the last detail.
Many problems remain
Schälicke believes that the inclusion of non-binary people in sport is fundamentally possible: “This has already arrived in popular sport. The big marathons in the USA have a non-binary starting class in addition to the male and female ones. There is already great progress there.” But one problem remains “As long as trans athletes or intersex women remain excluded or are forced into an open class. That’s not fair“.
The Lesbian and Gay Association (LSVD) goes even further. “We are surprised that the creation of a special category at the upcoming Swimming World Cup in Berlin is being sold as an inclusion success. The attempt to force trans* people into a separate or open category is a step backwards in the fight for acceptance and equality trans* people”said Mara Geri from the LSVD federal board in a written statement after World Aquatics’ plans became known.
There is not a single category
It would also be completely inadequate to use pure gender as the only category in swimming competitions. Even among men, there are athletes who have an advantage over other athletes due to their height or arm length, according to the LSVD. In addition, there are other features that are crucial. No one would think of excluding men or women because, for example, they have a larger lung volume or a lower water resistance due to their body.
But what happens next when dealing with this highly sensitive issue? Schälicke sees the “open categories” as a starting point; she cites the progress in youth football, where girls and boys play together in teams up to a certain age, as a good example.
Further testing is needed
World Aquatics wants to consider including “open category” competitions at Masters events in the future. For the time being, the topic seems to be off the table for the world association. “We very much regret that World Aquatics’ initiative did not appear to be well received. This makes it all the more important now to actively research the causes, listen and learn in order to develop working ideas for future projects.”says Kai Morgenroth, Vice President of the German Swimming Association (DSV).
According to Schälicke, however, inclusion in competitive sports is not entirely possible. Inclusion means being included and belonging. “When it comes to medals and placings, trans athletes will always be disadvantaged in “open categories”. There is currently no fair regulation“, says Schälicke.
Other sports are still looking
So the search for it continues – not just in swimming. The world athletics association World Athletics, where there are repeated debates about the South African runner Caster Semenya, has approved the composition and leadership of a working group in this regard. This will meet later this year to agree on a mandate and scope of work, culminating in a report to the Council in August 2024. It is up to this working group to decide as part of its work whether it would like to make suggestions to the Council regarding an “open” category,” World Athletics said upon request.
Other international sports associations have tightened their rules even further. The world cycling association UCI has excluded all trans athletes who have gone through male puberty. The world chess association Fide takes a similar strict approach to trans athletes. You must go through a review process that can take up to two years.