Posted on 05/25/2022 7:50:45 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The World Swimming Coaches Association has released a position statement on the issue of boys competing on girls' swim teams, acknowledging that their "inclusion" in girls-only competitions "cannot be balanced with fairness.”
While emphasizing that the WSCA has “an unequivocal agenda for the sport of swimming to be experienced in an environment where everyone can partake in the sport and where everyone is treated with both dignity and respect,” the association maintained that male athletes have an unfair advantage when competing against female athletes.
The WSCA cited the “retained differences in strength, stamina and physique that are present when comparing the average female" and male as the justification for its position.
One of the WSCA’s “key pillars” outlined in the statement declares that “categorization through birth sex remains to be the most useful and functional division relative to sporting performance” because “this categorization acknowledges the broad range of significant performance differences between the sexes.” While calling for the sport of swimming to retain “traditional sex categorization — in association with age, and, where appropriate, disability,” the WSCA expressed an openness to “finding a model of inclusion for transgender athletes.”
“Competitive fairness cannot be reconciled with self-identification into the female category in a gender-affected sport such as swimming,” the statement continued. “The average differences in strength, stamina, and physique between the sexes is significant. Transgender females are, on average, likely to retain physical advantages listed above even if testosterone suppression is utilized.”
The WSCA weighed in on the idea of an “Open” division, where biological males who identify as female would compete against other biological males.
However, after expressing concern that “providing them with the competition that is predominantly that of competing against biological males becomes unfair to [trans-identified males],” the WSCA touted a “Trans Division” as a solution that will enable athletes of all gender identities to compete with their peers. Under such a scenario, “The Trans Females will race each other” and “The Trans Males will race each other,” referring to trans-identified males and trans-identified females, respectively.
“There is an argument that the Trans Males have been completely lost in this debate because they are uncompetitive in our current structure. This would also allow those of indeterminate gender to be factored into such a solution.”
The WSCA concluded its statement by suggesting two options for re-categorization in competitive swimming. The first option would create a “female” category along with an “open” category, while the second option would establish a “female” category alongside a “male” category and an “open” category. Under both options, “female entrants into competition would be required to declare themselves as persons recorded as female at birth.”
The discussion about trans-identified male athletes and their impact on women’s sports comes as Lia Thomas (formerly Will), a trans-identified male who once competed on the University of Pennsylvania’s men’s swimming team, set several records this past season while competing on the Ivy League school’s women’s swimming team.
Earlier this year, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, one of the governing bodies overseeing collegiate athletics in the U.S., adopted a policy allowing each individual sport to decide whether to allow trans-identified athletes to compete on teams that correspond with their gender identity as opposed to their biological sex. USA Swimming, which oversees competitive swimming in the U.S., unveiled a policy allowing trans-identified males to compete on the women’s swimming team if they had consistently low testosterone levels.
Riley Gaines, a female athlete who tied with Thomas for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle at this year’s NCAA Women’s Swimming Championship, said in an interview with Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that the association gave preferential treatment to Thomas even though they had the same score: “When we finished and I went behind the podium to collect my fifth-place trophy … they blatantly told me that Lia would hold the fifth-place trophy and that I could pose with the sixth-place trophy for photos and would be mailed a fifth-place trophy in the mail.”
When Gaines asked an NCAA official why they were giving Thomas the trophy, he insisted that awards were being given in "chronological order.” After she reminded him that they had tied, Gaines said he responded by saying, “We’re just going to give the trophy to Lia. We respect and admire your swim, but Lia needs to hold the trophy.”
Gaines also reiterated the unfairness of women having to compete against male athletes, noting the “different lung capacities” between the sexes as we
We need a definition of what a women is before I go for this
So now three divisions? Men, Sub-men, and Women?
Clever. No fake women will join it. The purpose of fake women joining women’s sports is to get easy wins. If fake women compete against each other it’s the same as competing against other men. Since they are men, no matter how many lunatics think otherwise.
No.
If you were born male then swim with the boys
58 divisions: one for each “officially recognized” gender.
It's all about chromosomes. Simple science.
Yes. “Transgender” individual should compete on a playing field that is equal to them - other “transgender” individuals. But they should not be in “women’s” sporting events where their entry makes for an unequal playing field for biological females.
The Olympics can have “Transgender” Olympics just like they have the “special” Olympics for disabled folks.
“We’re just going to give the trophy to Lia. We respect and admire your swim, but Lia needs to hold the trophy.”
In one sentence we have a summary of the state of the US in 2022.
Some have royal blood and special privileges and others do not.
This is exactly what the American Revolution was fought about the first time.
Time to hit the “reset” button and start all over again....
“We’re just going to give the trophy to Lia. We respect and admire your swim, but Lia needs to hold the trophy.”
In one sentence we have a summary of the state of the US in 2022.
Some have royal blood and special privileges and others do not.
This is exactly what the American Revolution was fought about the first time.
Time to hit the “reset” button and start all over again....
Somehow we went from eliminating “whites only” to imposing “girls only, including dudes wearing a dress”.
Progress works in funny ways.
There should always have been Male, Female, and It categories. How do they give women their accomplishments back that lost them in recent years?
But.....there is no way to tell a girl/woman from a man....Duh
Women sports are just getting interesting. I want to see new records being broken.
Or even just a ‘non gendered’ division. Now obviously biological females who wish to be considered ‘male’ are probably not going to compete in it, since they would probably already have a greater than average amount of Testosterone, but no sillier than any other division.
So that would mean a complete set of teams in all sports to satisfy Title IX.
They won’t create a tra nie division because it will never be nearly popular enough to be viable.
You think this is bad, some transphobic horse owner is suing over buying a male horse identifying as a brood mare. What nerve!
The coaches, who likely initially supported men swimming on womens teams, must have realized that they would eventually be coaching an all male trans team. Must have been pretty motivating to come up with an alternative
A better idea: only men compete with men, and women with women.
Trans Homos don’t compete.
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