The policy will only allow athletes who've transitioned before the age of 12.
A stance on transgender athletes made by one 🗝 of the world's most important athletic federations has sent ripples throughout the rest of the sports world and some fear 🗝 it may bring even wider changes to come.
The governing body of international competitive swimming announced a policy that will only 🗝 allow athletes who've transitioned before the age of 12 to take part in any of the elite international swimming competitions.
Lia 🗝 Thomas, second left, of Penn University and transgender swimmer Iszac Henig (L) of Yale pose with their medals after placing 🗝 first and second in the 100-yard freestyle swimming race at the 2022 Ivy League Women's Swimming & Diving Championships at 🗝 Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
The decision made by FINA pointed to what the organization says 🗝 is a "performance gap" that emerges between biological males and females during puberty.
"Without eligibility standards based on biological sex or 🗝 sex-linked traits, we are very unlikely to see biological females in finals, on podiums, or in championship positions," read the 🗝 statement in part.
The policy also includes a proposal for a new open competition category, which athletes "would be able to 🗝 compete without regard to their sex, their legal gender or their gender identity."
FINA cited coming to the decision after consulting 🗝 with scientists and policy makers, but the policy still sent shockwaves throughout the world of swimming and beyond.
USA Wrestling and 🗝 the International Rugby League have already followed suit and announced similar policies and other governing bodies are likely to follow 🗝 suit.
FIFA, soccer's governing body, and World Athletics, the international governing body that covers track and field events, also announced a 🗝 review of their transgender athlete policy.
Transgender athlete Schuyler Bailar said the FINA policy is "extreme."
"It's the most extreme policy that 🗝 I've read to date.
I think it builds upon the discrimination that we're seeing specifically on trans people," said Bailar, who 🗝 was the first openly transgender swimmer in NCAA Division 1 competition and the first trans man to compete in any 🗝 NCAA Division 1 sport, to ABC News.
LGBTQ rights supporters gather at the Texas State Capitol to protest state Republican-led efforts 🗝 to pass legislation that would restrict the participation of transgender student athletes on the first day of the 87th Legislature's 🗝 third special session on September 20, 2021 in Austin, Texas.
Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images, FILE
The decision could impact athletes like Lia Thomas, 🗝 whose record-breaking season in the women's swim category set off a firestorm of international controversy.
Thomas, who was recruited to the 🗝 University of Pennsylvania men's swim team and competed with them for three seasons, began transitioning in 2019 and joined the 🗝 women's team for the 2021 to 2022 season.
Earlier this year, Thomas made history as the first transgender athlete to win 🗝 a NCAA Division 1 National championship.
That season, she set Ivy league records and rose significantly in the women's rankings versus 🗝 her performance in the men's field.
In her only television interview, Thomas spoke to ABC News in May.
"Trans women competing in 🗝 women's sports does not threaten women's sports as a whole," said Thomas.
"Trans women are a very small minority of all 🗝 athletes and we haven't seen any massive wave of trans women dominating."
At the time, Thomas told ABC News that her 🗝 goal was to swim at the Olympic Trials.
But now, the new policy change prohibits Thomas from achieving those dreams.
In a 🗝 statement to ABC News, Thomas said, "The new FINA release is deeply upsetting.
It is discriminatory and will only serve to 🗝 harm all women."
University of Pennsylvania athlete Lia Thomas prepares for the 500 meter freestyle at the NCAA Swimming and Diving 🗝 Championships, March 17, 2022, at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
John Bazemore/AP, FILE
Former Southern Illinois University swimmer Natalie Fahey was one of 🗝 the first openly trans women to compete in the NCAA.
Unlike Thomas, Fahey didn't break any records and her races were 🗝 far less controversial.
"After I transitioned, I was solidly middle ground.
I didn't come in and break any records," said Fahey.
"I only 🗝 competed at a conference, but certainly just the fact that I'm not as good as Lia is, weighs into that."
Fahey 🗝 added that being able to swim as a woman was crucial to her.
Three-time Olympic Gold-medalist Nancy Hogshead-Makar is the founder 🗝 of Champion Women, a non-profit organization that advocates for gender equality in sports for women and girls.
She said she advocates 🗝 for the open competition category.
"Trans women are women, but there are a few places where biology really matters and women's 🗝 sports is one of them," she said.
But Bailar argues that the policy will have a lasting impact on trans youth 🗝 that expands beyond sports.
"Most people play sports for fun, to learn cooperation, to have a team, to have peer mentorship," 🗝 said Bailar.
"This [policy] polices all women because you have to know which girls are trans in order to exclude them.
And 🗝 when you do that, you enforce the policing of all women's bodies."
