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Caitlyn Jenner Backs Ban On Transgender Swimmers Competing In Women's Events

Caitlyn Jenner has backed restrictions on transgender women from taking part in female swimming competitions.

The former Olympian, 72, tweeted: "What's fair is fair! If you go through male puberty you should not be able to take medals from females. Period."

She voiced her support after swimming's world governing body voted to effectively ban transgender athletes from competing in women's elite races.

FINA said it would explore establishing an "open" category for transgender people in some events as part of the new policy, which requires competitors to have completed their transition by the age of 12 to compete in women's races.

A transgender pressure group also backed the policy, saying the female category in swimming must be protected for "fairness".

Transgender Trend, which explores trans topics and has been accused of being anti-trans, said it supports the idea of an open category in the sport.

"There are categories for a purpose and male/female is a really important category," Stephanie Davies-Arai, its founder and director of the organisation, told Sky News.

"Transgender people should be able to take part in sport but it can't be at the expense of women and fairness and women's sport."

Ms Davies-Arai added that she thinks the open category will "make things fair" and that "it meets both requirements for inclusion".

Transgender rights has become a topic of fierce debate within sport including in cycling and swimming, with organisers of both sports seeking to balance inclusivity while ensuring there is no unfair advantage.

FINA's vote has proved contentious among LGBTQ athletic groups including Athlete Ally, which says the eligibility criteria is "discriminatory" and must include "all women".

Advocates for transgender inclusion argue that not enough studies have yet been done on the impact of transition on physical performance, and that elite athletes are often physical outliers in any case.

The vote has also split views within swimming, with athletes including former British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies supporting it.

The issue of transgender inclusion in sport is highly divisive, particularly in the US where it has become a weapon in a so-called culture war between conservatives and progressives.

Transgender rights have been subject to debate across the sports world, however within swimming it intensified after US swimmer Lia Thomas became the first transgender NCAA champion in Division I history after winning the women's 500-yard freestyle earlier this year.

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