Transgender Swimmer Ana Caldas Suspended
Transgender swimmer Ana Caldas has been handed a five-year suspension from World Swimming, along with the revocation of her competitive results dating back to June 2022, due to her refusal to undergo a gender confirmation test.
Caldas, 47, who is also referred to as Hanna, indicated her acceptance of the penalty, stating that she deemed the chromosome test, which is costly and not covered by her insurance, as “not medically necessary.”
“Chromosome testing is invasive and expensive,” said Caldas, who transitioned from male to female. “My insurance does not cover such tests because they are not medically necessary.”
She also pointed out that no U.S. state mandates genetic testing for recreational sporting events, noting that even U.S. Masters Swimming doesn’t require it for its competitions.
The requirement for gender confirmation screening is reportedly linked to World Aquatics’ examination of Caldas’ eligibility, which was triggered by an inquiry from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton into U.S. Masters Swimming.
“I understand and accept the consequences,” Caldas expressed. “But a five-year suspension is what I have to endure to safeguard my most sensitive medical information. I’m willing to pay that price for myself and for all women who don’t want to undergo invasive testing.”
World Aquatics’ decision leaves Caldas banned until October 2030.
A vocal critic of transgender athletes, Riley Gaines, reshared the news on social media, highlighting that this situation is, in fact, real and not some fictional portrayal.
In May, Caldas achieved success by winning five individual events in the women’s 45-49 age category at the U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championships held in San Antonio, Texas.
The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) sent a letter to the U.S. Masters Swimming Committee addressing concerns that permitting Caldas to compete would breach the fair play policy and harm the sport’s integrity. They suggested that to compete with biological women, trans women should undergo hormone therapy and maintain testosterone levels below 5 nmol/L.
Caldas, originally from Portugal and now representing the United States, had also competed in the senior women’s division at the 2024 Masters World Championship.
In 2022, the NCAA revised its regulations for transgender athletes, requiring a minimum of one year of testosterone suppression treatment prior to competing as women. This change followed instances like the one involving Leah Thomas, who broke women’s team records after transitioning.
