U.S. Masters Swimming is under investigation for allegedly allowing a transgender woman to swim at its 2025 U.S. Masters Spring Nationals in San Antonio.
According to reports, a transgender athlete won five women’s events at the meet.
The swimmer, 47-year-old Ana Caldas, dominated all five races the athlete competed in, taking gold in the women’s age 45-49 category in five races, including the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke, freestyle and the 100-yard individual medley. Caldas was born Hugo Caldas, according to reports.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton started the investigation because Texas has a law in place that prohibits trans athletes from competing in female sports.
USMS policy allows transgender swimmers to participate in the gender competition category in which they identify, and they may also be recognized for accomplishments, if certain conditions are met.
One of the swimmers filed a request for eligibility review.
“The policy of U.S. Masters Swimming, which allows men to compete in women’s events, is reprehensible and could violate Texas’s consumer protection laws,” Paxton said in a prepared statement. “Not only is this policy insulting to female athletes, but it also demonstrates deep contempt for women and may violate Texas law. I will fight to stop these unfair policies and never back down from defending the integrity of women’s sports.”
Trans swimmers who do not meet those requirements can still participate in the women’s races, but their times are removed from the submitted results, and they are not eligible for official times, places, points, records, Top 10 or other forms of official recognition.
Male athletes, no matter what they call themselves, should not be competing in female sports. Those men can be included & place in the men’s category, or call themselves a woman and swim for exhibition only. Let’s have a return to common sense!
If you read the article, though it lacks detail that would help, that is exactly the policy of USMS. It seems like the only issue is that the athlete in question didn’t inform officials. The statement by Paxson is just hate mongering and grandstanding.
Anna (a male) competed and placed 1st in 5 women’s races. As of the USMS rules now, he only has to prove that he lowered his testosterone below a certain level for 12 months to be able to race and place in the women’s division. That is the rule that needs to change. USMS should not allow any males to compete in the women’s division, which is what the Texas law says and Paxton is defending.
Thanks for adding detail. Would have helped if SW did that. I guess I should have checked the rules myself. I don’t think though Texas and Paxton need to investigate and so on. USMS can review their rules. Maybe conclude more research is needed on the effects of hormones etc., and just have trans athletes compete as non scoring non placing swimmers. Not a perfect solution but workable. Unless everyone starts suing everyone. And without going into politics too far and the State of Texas, USMS can certainly decide that if it does modify its rules going forward and Texas still can’t deal, then as an entity and a product they can supply their meet and their thousands of participants and millions of dollars spent each championship to another state that “protects” its consumers differently.
This is not the first time “Ana” has won at Masters Nationals” as well as stealing “All American” status several times with the fastest time in the nation in that event and age group. That being said Ana would be over 2 seconds behind in the 50 and 7 seconds behind in breaststroke; the true All American the amazing Gabby Rose, a real lady. My question is, has USMS tested Ana for the required test levels of transitioning?
Look, I agree that trans women likely have an unfair advantage over those of us born female and respect that some people Ana beat might feel cheated. However, as a current USMS swimmer (who competed at this National meet in Texas), I’m leery of this fight. Where do we go from here? We need to think long and hard about what WE are willing to risk/accept to screen these competitors out. Do I have to complete bloodwork to prove my womanhood? Submit to some sort of exam to make sure I’m eligible for women’s events? Pay double the meet registration fees to account for the administrative burden? Test again if I win a bunch of events and someone accuses me of being a man? All to make sure I don’t go up against a trans woman at a … masters meet? I mean … masters? We’re talking about masters, right? This is not the Olympic Trials or NCAA championships. We need to be darn sure the toll of excluding trans women from
women’s races is not higher than the (questionable) toll of competing against them.
The toll of excluding men from women’s sports? Wow. How about the toll of NOT ensuring women get a fair chance. Amazing we have people who don’t believe in biology.
It’s a one-time cheek swab. Calm your jets.
I’m not even going to address the vile comments in this comment section because they are just filled with hate and misinformation. Rather, I am addressing swimming world. First, the fact that this comment section is moderated by you and these comments are allowed to remain up is shameful. USA swimming has clear policy against hate speech, and you are allowing that to occur in your comment section. By permitting it, you are elevating it. Second, it is incredibly disgraceful for you to use her deadname in this post. That is crossing an excusable line, one that is violating and cruel. Do better. Think about the messaging you are sending out to young swimmers across the world. That this kind of rhetoric is not only acceptable, but encouraged; and that the trans kids who swim in your pools and on your teams should hide rather than have the right to compete.