U.S. Masters Swimming Review Panel Finds Swimmer Was Eligible in Spring
A U.S. Masters Swimming’s Eligibility Review Panel has found that a swimmer at the center of a gender controversy in the spring was eligible to compete as a female at the time.
In a statement released Friday, U.S. Masters Swimming did not name the swimmer. But it found that under the rules in effect through July 1, 2025, the swimmer demonstrated “that she was eligible for competition in the female category.”
That may not matter to the swimmer moving forward. (U.S. Masters Swimming did not name the swimmer, though controversy did arise over a swimmer who won five gold medals at U.S. Masters Spring Nationals in San Antonio.) U.S. Masters Swimming clarified that an interim eligibility policy was implemented July 1, which “allows for recognition in the female competition category based on sex assigned at birth, but allows for participation in the female category (as defined in the policy) based on gender identity.” (Details of the interim policy are available here.)
The location of the meet has turned it into an issue for politicians and political commentators. Friday’s report is more consequential to U.S. Masters Swimming, which has faced criticism from the outside and from within its own membership, as well as lawsuits by politicians.
The Review Panel was initiated by another swimmer. (Under USMS policy, “swimmers in the same gender category, same age group, and having participated in the same event during the same season may request an eligibility review of another swimmer at any time before the times submission deadline for that season.”) The swimmer in question presented documentation to the panel including documentation, a personal statement, and voluntary medical documentation to “corroborate her eligibility for the female category.”
From the U.S. Masters Swimming release:
Under the USMS Eligibility Review Procedures in place until July 1, 2025, the swimmer whose eligibility was challenged submitted documentation to the Eligibility Review Panel regarding her eligibility to participate in the female competition category and for official forms of recognition, including documentation reflecting her sex assigned at birth and her gender identity, including a birth certificate, passport, and U.S. citizenship documents. The Eligibility Review Panel also met with the swimmer and her counsel and reviewed a personal statement she submitted. The documents the swimmer submitted all demonstrate that she was assigned the female sex at birth and that she identifies as female, although she swam in the male category at USMS events 2002-2004. Even though it was not required, the swimmer voluntarily provided past and current medical documentation corroborating the information contained in the documents she submitted and corroborating her eligibility in the female category.
In light of those facts, the panel concluded that the swimmer was eligible to swim as a female. Policies have changed since then, including membership registration process changes, and the statement offers no assessment on future eligibility.
“We appreciate our members’ patience during this thorough review process as the complexities of the matter were exacerbated by the outside legal and media attention received,” the statement read. “USMS also wants to encourage our members to treat each other with dignity, kindness, and respect as outlined in the USMS code of conduct.”
Edit: An earlier version of this story incorrectly characterized the nature of the case. The article has been corrected. Swimming World apologies for the error.
