Zhurova on the open category for transgender people at the Swimming World Cup: “It was the only way out”

Creating a separate category for transgender people was the only possible way out for World Aquatics, says Olympic champion, deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Svetlana Zhurova .

World Aquatics previously banned transgender people from participating in women’s competitions and established an open category. The first competition in this category will take place as part of the World Cup leg in the German capital, which is scheduled for October 6-8.

– In swimming, transgender people marked everyone and went there actively. In this situation, the international federation had to look for a way out. They didn’t allow them to perform with women, realizing that would destroy women’s sport. Potentially, this story could repeat itself in many sports, leading to a split in the Olympic movement. This decision to create a separate category is therefore the only way out for World Aquatics,” Zhurova told .