Culture and Social Issues

Another Major Sports Governing Body Set To Debut New Category To Include Trans Athletes

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World Aquatics, the international governing body for all aquatic sports, announced Wednesday that it would debut an open category for racers at the upcoming Swimming World Cup in Berlin, Germany, according to a press release.

The category will be open to athletes regardless of gender and includes races in the 50-meter and 100-meter distances, according to World Aquatics’ statement. World Aquatics originally announced its decision to debut the open category in July during its congressional meeting in Fukuoka, Japan, The Associated Press reported.

🔵OPEN CATEGORY DEBUTS AT THE BERLIN SWIMMING WORLD CUP 2023.

The open category will spotlight races in the 50m and 100m distances across all strokes, with the possibility of introducing additional events 👇https://t.co/tENItvWJFR

— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) August 16, 2023

“This pioneering pilot project highlights the organisation’s unwavering commitment to inclusivity, welcoming swimmers of all sex and gender identities,” World Aquatics said in its press release.

World Aquatics announced in 2022 that it would implement a new “gender inclusion policy” and was committed to creating an open category for aquatic sports.

“When World Aquatics instituted its Policy on Eligibility for the Men’s and Women’s Competition Categories, we committed to exploring the creation of an open category,” World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam said, according to the press release. “True to our word, a team of experts has diligently worked to make this a reality. I would like to thank all those who have helped World Aquatics to deliver this opportunity.”

The first meet of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2023 will be held in Berlin, Germany, from Oct. 6 to Oct. 8.