Swimming events created to include transgender and nonbinary participants have been canceled at this week's World Cup in Berlin, Germany, after no entries were received.
World Aquatics, swimming's governing body, said Tuesday that 50- and 100-meter "open category" races would not be held at the annual event.
"Following the close of registration for the Open Category competitions at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup — Berlin 2023 meet scheduled for 6-8 October, World Aquatics can confirm that no entries have been received for the Open Category events,” the organization said in a statement.
"Distances in various events had been made available for the Open Category, introduced on a pilot basis following the adoption of the World Aquatics Policy on Eligibility for the Men’s and Women's Competition Categories."
World Aquatics did not label the open category as being specifically for transgender and nonbinary individuals, though this was the impetus for its creation. All swimmers, including men and women, were eligible for events in the new category.
Formerly known as Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), World Aquatics last year banned transgender women from competing in elite female events, and announced the new category for athletes whose gender identity differs from their sex at birth.
The organization changed its policy after Lia Thomas competed for the University of Pennsylvania women’s swim team. Born a male before transitioning to become a woman, Thomas became the first transgender swimmer to win an NCAA Division I women's national championship.
Other sports followed swimming in blocking transgender women from competing in the female category, but World Aquatics is the first organization to try to create a third category for competition.
"The World Aquatics Open Category Working Group will continue its work and engagement with the aquatics community on Open Category events," the organization said. "Even if there is no current demand at the elite level, the working group is planning to look at the possibility of including Open Category races at Masters events in the future."
Masters events are for swimmers aged 25 and above.
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