Transgender Swimmer Banned Until 2030

A transgender swimmer who caused quite a stir earlier this year has now been banned from competitive swimming until 2030. This decision follows their refusal to take a gender confirmation test, which led to the annulment of all competitive results from June 2022 to October 2024.

Ana Caldas is now on the Aquatics Integrity Unit’s list of banned individuals. Recently, they faced charges for providing false information, violating the Integrity Code standards set by World Swimming regarding gender categories.

World Aquatics revamped its gender eligibility policy in 2022, which now restricts transgender women from competing in the female division unless they transitioned before the age of 12 or reached Tanner Stage 2 of puberty.

Caldas drew national attention back in May after clinching five gold medals at the U.S. Masters Swimming Championships in San Antonio, Texas. This success didn’t sit well with some competitors, leading to protests. Caldas topped the women’s 45-49 division in five events, including the breaststroke and freestyle.

Wendy Engdahl, a competitive swimmer from Louisiana who has faced Caldas in a number of events, expressed feelings of betrayal for not being informed of Caldas’s birth gender. In a statement about the recent decision, she said she felt vindicated.

“I applaud World Swimming’s decision to protect the fairness and integrity of competitive swimming,” Engdahl stated. “It’s significant when someone makes it to the podium, especially in a high-stakes event like the Masters World Championships. My heart goes out to the women who were denied that opportunity.”

Additionally, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the United States Masters Swimming Association in July over the San Antonio incident. He accused the organization of illegal conduct for allowing men to compete in women’s events, arguing that they were responding to pressure from extremist activists.