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“I Took a Lot of Heat”- Caitlyn Jenner Reacts to FINA’s Bold Move Against Transgender Swimmers After Lia Thomas Controversy Backlash

Published 06/20/2022, 8:45 AM EDT

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Caitlyn Jenner has expressed her approval of the recent development in swimming. The star of Keeping Up With the Kardashians fame had been vocal about the participation of trans athletes in the women’s category.

Although trans athletes competing in women’s events has been the topic of discussion for quite some time, the debate garnered traction recently after Lia Thomas’ historic win at a meet.

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Caitlyn Jenner extols the new policy by FINA

Recently, FINA came up with a new policy that would restrict trans women athletes from competing in events in the women’s category. However, they have included an exception to this rule which states that a transgender woman can compete in the women’s category if they transitioned before attaining the age of 12.

After FINA announced the move, Jenner took to Twitter to extol the new policy introduced by the governing body. She tweeted, “It worked! I took a lot of heat – but what’s fair is fair! If you go through male puberty you should not be able to take medals away from females. Period.”

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The move comes a few months after Lia Thomas made headlines after securing the first position in the 500-yard freestyle event in the women’s category.

In March, Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I event in the sport’s history. However, people expressed conflicting opinions after the event. Moreover, people debated whether trans athletes should be allowed to compete in women’s events.

Previously, Thomas swam for the men’s team at the University of Pennsylvania. The athlete began hormone replacement therapy in 2019. However, she competed in her first meet as a trans woman at the NCAA Championships in March.

People’s opinion on the topic

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Thomas faced widespread criticism following her participation in the women’s category. Some people pointed out that the athlete possessed an unfair advantage over other female athletes. This point of view stems from the theory that people who have undergone male puberty will have higher testosterone levels.

Mayo Clinic doctor Michael J. Joyner said in an interview, “Body size, hand size, foot size, bone density [are all factors] but the main thing is the interactions of exercise training and muscle.”

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Moreover, other doctors have also posited that people who have been through male puberty will have a larger body structure. They attributed this to an influx of testosterone during the period. Hence, this forms one of the bases behind the new ruling by FINA.

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Written by:

Aklanta Chetia

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Aklanta Chetia Wanniang is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in Literature from the University of Delhi. With an interest in learning about multiple sports, Aklanta himself is a former sportsperson and has participated in state and national level swimming events.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani