3 weeks ago
A transgender athlete is reportedly group to compete successful a nationalist women’s h2o polo title this weekend, which will beryllium her 2nd clip doing so.
The Michigan Wolverines women’s h2o polo nine squad has Alicia Paans, a 31-year-old postgraduate student, connected its roster up of nan 2024 National Collegiate Club Water Polo Championships. The tourney will beryllium held astatine Texas A&M this upcoming weekend.
The Wolverines’ nine squad will return connected Texas State University successful its first lucifer connected May 3.
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A wide position of nan crippled shot pinch "CWPA Champs 2024" during nan assemblage h2o polo CWPA Championship last betwixt nan Michigan Wolverines and nan Princeton Tigers connected April 28, 2024 astatine Blodgett Pool successful Allston, Massachusetts. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Paans, who is besides a women’s chess champion successful Michigan, competed for nan Wolverines successful 2023 successful nan aforesaid tournament, which they won complete nan University of California-Santa Barbara.
She was noted to person scored aggregate goals successful games starring up to nan championship, a 17-5 triumph complete Virginia and a 17-6 victory complete Washington.
SIX STATES SUE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OVER NEW TITLE IX PROTECTIONS FOR TRANS ATHLETES IN GIRLS' SPORTS
In January 2024, nan CWPA released its transgender jock policy, which states transgender women tin participate successful women’s categories.
"Transgender athletes who place arsenic female are eligible to compete successful some nan Co-ed League and nan Women’s League," nan argumentation reads, while besides needing a "letter of confirmation" to corroborate gender personality arsenic good arsenic impervious of testosterone levels beneath 10 nmol/L wrong 60 days of competition.
General position during nan World Aquatics Men's Water Polo World Cup Division2 Qualifier Final Match Romania v. China astatine Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europa-Sportpark connected May 7, 2023 successful Berlin. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Paans was calved successful nan Netherlands and moved to California successful 2017, erstwhile she began interning astatine a societal sports club, Volo San Diego, per Reduxx. Paans began studying societal activity astatine Michigan successful 2023.
Paans has been involved successful unpaid work extracurricular sports, wherever she was a situation counsellor for nan Family Health Line, which "is a hotline specialized successful topics relating to female wellness and pregnancy."
Social media backlash has travel from Paans group to participate successful nan women’s nine championship.
"Other than perchance basketball, h2o polo whitethorn impact nan astir melodramatic quality successful ability/performance betwixt men & women. I played H2O polo, and nan (difference) is unthinkable betwixt men and women," 1 X personification wrote. "Starting pinch a HUGE advantage pinch manus size, but besides little assemblage spot to get retired of nan water, and precocious assemblage spot to rip shots. Plus HUGE quality successful acceleration."
A wide position of a KAP7 h2o polo shot earlier nan assemblage h2o polo CWPA Championship last betwixt nan Michigan Wolverines and nan Princeton Tigers connected April 28, 2024 astatine Blodgett Pool successful Allston, Massachusetts. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The Independent Council connected Women’s Sports recovered Paans uses female locker rooms and accommodation while competing, per parents of Michigan’s opponents.
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Scott Thompson is simply a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
