Fina, the sport’s world governing body, has approved a swim cap for athletes with natural black hair a year after being banned from the Olympics.
The International Swimming Federation’s decision last June to ban use of the Soul Cap at the Tokyo Games — a decision based in part on the cap “not following the natural shape of the head” and the governing body noting that “Athletes participating in the Games international events are never used, nor do they require … caps of this size and configuration” – sparked outrage, with the federation apologizing and promising a review of the decision.
Soul Cap was invited to re-apply for a spot on Fina’s approved competitive swimwear list and on Thursday the company announced that the application had been successful.
“This result plays a big part in our broader mission to improve inclusion in esports,” Soul Cap co-founder Toks Ahmed told Metro. “We are so grateful to everyone who has shown support and been involved in creating this huge change. As a new dad and someone who didn’t learn to swim growing up, it feels even closer to making it accessible for the next generation.
“We’ve seen what community and collective energy can achieve, so we’re hoping to break down more of those barriers.”
The company, which has worked with British Olympic open water swimmer Alice Dearing, said it had come a long way towards acceptance.
“Traditional swim caps have long been a barrier to swimmers with thick, curly or bulky hair,” Soul Cap said in a statement. “You can’t always find a cap that fits your hair type, and that often means swimmers from all backgrounds avoid competition or give up the sport altogether.
“We want swimming to be an accessible sport, with equipment and swimwear that allows everyone to engage and see achievement.”
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