A swimmer who refused a DNA test was suspended from competition for five years (6 photos)

The International Swimming Federation also annulled all of Hanna Caldas' athletic achievements for the past three years.





Portuguese swimmer Hanna Caldas has been suspended by World Aquatics for five years, and all of her athletic awards have been annulled. The decision was based on the athlete's refusal to undergo a DNA test, required by the federation, to confirm her gender.



Besides swimming, Caldas has won numerous CrossFit competitions around the world and four years ago set a world record in the 500-meter indoor rowing event.

47-year-old Caldas stated in an interview that she was willing to accept this punishment in order to maintain her medical confidentiality and emphasized that she considers such procedures humiliating and overly invasive. According to the athlete, insurance does not cover the financial costs of such testing, and in the United States, where she currently lives, such testing is not practiced in sports. The swimmer decided not to appeal World Aquatics' decision.





Last year, the athlete competed in the World Masters Aquatics Championships in Doha and took first place in her age category in the women's 100-meter freestyle. She also placed second in the women's 50-meter freestyle and third in the women's 50-meter breaststroke.



Earlier this year, Caldas placed first in five individual events at the USA Swimming Masters (USMS) Spring National Championships. In August, the USMS concluded that Caldas was eligible to compete in the women's category after a review, stating that "all documentation submitted by the swimmer demonstrates that she was assigned female at birth and that she identifies as female, although she swam in the men's category in USMS competitions from 2002-2004." However, World Swimming decided to conduct its own tests, which Caldas refused, and was subsequently disqualified until October 2030.



The situation has sparked widespread controversy, once again raising questions about the limits of acceptable control by sports organizations, as well as the personal rights and privacy of athletes in the international arena. level.

Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer who has criticized transgender athletes, shared the news on social media, along with a photo of Caldas.



"This isn't AI. This isn't a Babylon Bee post. This isn't a South Park episode. This isn't an SNL sketch. This is real life," Gaines wrote.