Madeleine Raine
Fina overturns decision to ban swimming caps designed for afro-textured hair at international competitions following backlash.
“Many swimmers criticised this decision”
Fina, the water sports world governing body, said these caps were unsuitable for use at international competitions and banned them.
Many swimmers criticised this decision however, claiming it would discourage black people from competing.
Soul Cap: The Afro Swimming Cap
Soul Cap makes swimming caps suitable for afros, braids, and dreadlocks.
Founded in 2017, Soul Cap have since become increasingly popular amongst the black community.
Such hair is naturally dry and therefore can become extremely damaged by the chlorine used in swimming pools.
17-year-old Kejai Terrelonge, confessed her own hair struggles using a smaller swimming cap to Radio 1 Newsbeat.
“It would fit on my own head but because I put oil in my hair, when I was swimming it would just keep sliding off and my hair would get wet,” she said.
Fina Fights Back
In a statement, Fina said: “Fina is committed to ensuring that all aquatics athletes have access to appropriate swimwear.”
They added that they understood the importance of representation and inclusivity.
According to a report by Sport England in January 2020, only 20.1% of black British children swim compared to 29.3% of white children.
Swim England released a statement reassuring competitive swimmers in England that Soul Caps are now allowed.
“Swimming hats designed for afro hair can reduce barriers to the sport for under-represented groups, including black people.”
Co-founder of Soul Caps, Michael Gunning, expressed his shock on Twitter.
In 2017, Michael Chapman and Toks Ahmed-Salawudeen co-founded Soul Cap after hearing the struggles of black people who swam.
“We didn’t think it was a sport for us,” they said.
“After speaking with our mums, sisters, friends, and realising the lack of suitable swimwear for swimmers with afro hair, braids, locks, or any type of voluminous hair – we decided to create our own.”
Featured image courtesy of Suad Kamardeen on Unsplash. I have not altered this image. Image license is available here.
Madeleine Raine
Mads is a 23-year-old History graduate from Newcastle University. She is passionate about current affairs and British news, with a keen interest in investigative features. Aside from this, she is an avid reader, photographer, and yogi.