FINA, which regulates and oversees the rules of competitive swimming, has refused to wear British brand swimming caps in Tokyo Soul Cap, which manufactures caps specially designed for swimmers Hair of all kinds, especially black swimmers with naturally long, thick, or thick hair, the company explains.

British swimmer Alice Dearing, the first black swimmer to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games, has been banned from using these caps in Tokyo.

FINA think that cups Soul Cap dont get married natural head shape And so far, No athlete who participated in international events has ever used a swimming cap of this size and composition.

British swimmer Alice Deering will be the first black swimmer to represent Great Britain at the Olympics.

Photo: Getty Images / Clive Rose

Dearing, who qualified for the games last week, was previously linked to Soul CapBeing one of the faces of the brand that seeks to democratize swimming among black athletes.

Last February, on Instagram (A new window)Dearing said proud to cooperate with her Soul Cap, a company known Learn about a serious problem facing black communities around the world which contributes to Demystifying the misconception that swimming gear cannot be all-inclusive. FINA has not yet responded to the decision.

swipe decision

In a daily interview The guardianDanielle Obe, co-founder of the Black Swimming Association with Alice Dearing, called the decision unfair, stressing that it exposed the systemic and institutional inequalities that plagued her discipline.

This decision confirms the lack of diversity in our sportDanielle Obi explains. She adds that the swimming cap as we know it was originally made by the company الشركة speedo, for Caucasian hair, while black hair requires a different composition.

Soul Cap Shower Cap, specially adapted for natural black hair.

Photo: Twitter / @soulcapofficial

We need space and volume like those products spirit cap كاب allow. Inclusion is the recognition that there is no “natural” head shape.

For their part, the founders of the brand spirit cap كابToks Ahmed and Michael Chapman responded in a statement, saying that the FINA decision highlights the disparities that exist in the world of sport.

For young swimmers, feeling involved and identifying themselves with top level athletes is crucial. FINA warns against dissuading many young athletes from continuing to swimThey wrote on Instagram (A new window), specifying that it was It’s unfair to ask swimmers to choose between the sport they love and their hair.

In response to the criticism, FINA clarified that the products Soul Cap authorized to use Recreational or educational.

The FINA Charter, published on its website, states that it cannot allow this No discrimination against the National Federation or the athletes On several criteria, including ethnicity.

study of living organism swimming England It revealed in 2020 that 95% of black adults and 80% of black children in the UK never swim, while only 2% of regular swimmers in England are black.

The World Health Organization also notes that the risk of drowning is higher in black and Asian communities and among other ethnic minority groups.

With information from the Guardian and the BBC