Swimming governing body FINA is reviewing its decision to ban a swimming cap favoured by black athletes from the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after the move triggered a backlash.
The Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) is assessing whether athletes competing at the games, which begin on 23 July, will be able to wear the Soul Cap.
A statement released by the governing body said it was "committed to ensuring that all aquatics athletes have access to appropriate swimwear."
The larger swimming caps, which are designed for people with "long and voluminous hair", were banned from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as they don't meet FINA's requirements.
Above: Soul Caps are banned from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Top image: the caps are designed to cover and protect curly, thick hair "Soul Cap, which is designed to accommodate for diverse hair types in swimming, has been denied by FINA from their approval process to become certified to wear for competition swimming," Soul Cap explained on Instagram.
However, the ban provoked a public backlash, with claims that it would discourage black people from taking up swimming.
As a result, the governing body is now reviewing its decision to better "understand the importance of inclusivity and representation". The review will also look at whether the larger swimming caps provide wearers with an unfair advantage.
FINA will review whether the larger sized caps provide an unfair advantage
"FINA is ...