Swimming caps made for people with naturally thick and curly hair are banned in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. The Olympics committee states that they are unsuitable. It is because they do not follow the natural form of the head.
What are these caps and, why did Olympics ban it?
Soul Cap, a British firm’s products have official recognition from Fédération Internationale de Natation or the International Swimming Federation (FINA). However, the firm lost FINA approval last year for extra-large swimming caps that are to protect thick, voluminous, and curly hair.
“To our best knowledge, the athletes competing at the international events never used, neither require to use, caps of such size and configuration,” stated FINA. “We don’t see this as a setback, but a chance to open up a dialogue to make a bigger difference in aquatics. Huge thanks to all who have supported us and our work so far,” tweeted Michael Chapman and Toks Ahmed-Salawudeen, the co-founders of Soul Cap.
The Future of Soul Caps
However, the world’s premier sports governing body on Friday stated that they are reviewing the situation. The caps need more consideration when counting the importance of representation and inclusivity. ” We are committed to ensuring all aquatics athletes have access to appropriate swimwear for competition as long as such swimwear does not provide a competitive advantage,” said FINA. However, they added that at the moment there was no restriction on using the cap for recreational and learning purposes.
“For younger swimmers, feeling included and seeing yourself in a sport at a young age is crucial. There’s only so much grassroots and small brands can do. We need the top to be receptive to positive change,” said Ahmed-Salawudeen. Alice Dearing, a Black swimmer for Britain endorses Soul Caps. “People used to tell me my hair was ‘too big for the cap. (morganstern.com) Not once that the cap was too small for my hair,” reminisced the British swimmer.