Trans Swimmer’s Victories Spark Eligibility Review in U.S. Masters Swimming
U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS), a prominent organization with over 60,000 adult members, is facing controversy after a transgender swimmer’s recent wins in five women’s events. The organization has initiated an eligibility review in response to concerns raised by a fellow competitor.
Wendy Enderle, a long-time USMS swimmer from Louisiana, requested the review after discovering that Ana Caldas, a competitor she’s encountered over the years, is transgender. Enderle expressed her feelings of betrayal upon learning this information. The two athletes recently competed at the USMS Spring National Championship in San Antonio, held on April 26-27, where Caldas secured gold in five races, including the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events in the 45-49 age bracket, surpassing Enderle.
Enderle’s first encounter with Caldas was at the World Aquatics Masters World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in February 2024, during the women’s 50m freestyle. Enderle recorded a time of 29.19, while Caldas finished in 27.91. However, Enderle only formally introduced herself to Caldas at a USMS meet in Little Rock, Arkansas, in January. Enderle noted Caldas’s physique, mentioning her muscles and height, yet initially assumed she was a cisgender female. Enderle stated that she had a sense that something was different but remained unaware of Caldas’s transgender identity until after the meet in San Antonio.
Expressing both shock and concern, Enderle submitted her eligibility review request for Caldas. A primary objective of this action is to prevent Caldas from participating in the upcoming World Aquatics Masters World Championships in Singapore. Enderle articulated her belief that Caldas should not compete in the women’s category, particularly in Singapore, emphasizing her commitment to fairness in sports and her view that transgender women should not compete against cisgender women. She clarified that her issue isn’t with transgender individuals in general, but with what she considers unfair competition.
Angie Griffin, another USMS swimmer, also competed with Caldas without knowing Caldas’s birth gender. Learning about Caldas’s gender identity prompted Griffin to file a formal complaint with USMS, requesting a re-evaluation of the Spring National Championship results and a comprehensive overhaul of the organization’s gender eligibility policy.
Griffin participated in three races alongside Caldas, finishing behind her in the 50-yard breaststroke and 100-yard individual medley. Griffin questioned the integrity of the competition and wondered why USMS doesn’t adhere to the same competitive standards as other organizations like the NCAA. She noted that she paid the fees to participate under the assumption of competing in a division defined by biological sex.
Griffins team did win in the Womens 45+ 200 Free Relay, but the incident left a lingering concern.
USMS confirmed it is conducting an eligibility review but noted it has never disqualified a swimmer based on gender identity. The organization’s gender eligibility policy doesn’t require transgender swimmers to provide documentation of their eligibility unless a review request is filed.
According to USMS, documentation verification is rare. If a review is initiated, the eligibility panel follows a structured, confidential process to determine if the athlete meets the criteria. This process includes reviewing documentation provided by the swimmer, adhering to the published policy. USMS emphasizes that this process protects athlete privacy and ensures consistent standards for all swimmers.
USMS policy allows transgender swimmers to participate in the gender category in which they identify, and their accomplishments can be officially recognized if certain conditions are met. One condition requires continuous and verifiable hormonal therapy for at least one year. The second condition is proof of testosterone serum levels measured within the last twelve months being below five nmol/L (144.25 ng/dL).
Transgender swimmers who do not meet these requirements may still participate in the women’s category. However, their times will be removed from official results, making them ineligible for official times, places, points, records, Top 10 rankings, or other forms of official recognition.
