World swimming adopts new policy for transgender athletes

World swimming's governing body has adopted new rules for transgender athletes, only permitting swimmers who transitioned before age 12 to compete in women's events.

FINA members voted 71.5% in favor of the new "gender inclusion policy" at the organization's extraordinary general congress on Sunday. It will apply to all its events from Monday.

The 24-page policy also includes proposals for a new "open competition" category. FINA said it was setting up a "a new working group that will spend the next six months looking at the most effective ways to set up this new category."


The vote came after members heard presentations from of three specialist groups - an athlete group, a science and medicine group and a legal and human rights group - that had been working together to form the policy following recommendations given by the International Olympic Committee last November.

The IOC urged shifting the focus from individual testosterone levels and calling for evidence to prove when a performance advantage existed.