Amidst World Championship 2023, Swimming Authorities Declare a Long-Due Update Bringing Grassroot Level Change

The sport of Swimming welcomes everyone irrespective of their physical attributes. However, along with overall stature, an athlete’s hair also plays a significant role in the turquoise arena. Hence, swim caps were introduced, which now is one of the most important garb of swimming gear. Interestingly, traditional swim caps often prove difficult to fit over thick or curly hair. This can make swimming uncomfortable or even impossible for some people. Hence, Soul Cap was invented to address this problem. It is a swim cap designed specifically for people with thick, curly, or voluminous hair.

The Soul Cap was initially banned from competition by World Aquatics, but the ban was reversed last September after widespread criticism. They had suggested that the Soul Cap does not follow the natural form of the head. Since the reversal of the ban, Soul Caps has ignited hope for greater diversity in the sport of swimming.

Soul Caps’ aim to make swimming more inclusive

Soul Cap’s core vision is to work towards making swimming a more inclusive sport. A sport that will welcome swimmers of color, fostering a new generation of talent to reach the pinnacle of swimming excellence. After facing criticism at the Tokyo Olympics, FINA added the cap back to the list of approved equipment, emphasizing their commitment to diversity and inclusivity.

While the Soul Cap’s real impact may be felt beyond the realm of elite competitions, the hope is that its widespread adoption at the grassroots level will inspire more individuals from diverse backgrounds to join the sport. For beginners and recreational swimmers, Soul Cap has broken down barriers, allowing comfortable and competitive engagement with swimming.

Since the ban was overturned last year, the ongoing World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan is the latest international elite swim tournament. However, Soul Caps will be difficult to adopt at the highest level of competition. Since the traditional caps give the least drag to swimmers. In elite events where a race is decided by a thousandth of a second, it will be rare to see Soul Caps. Florida coach Anthony Nesty, the first Black man to win an Olympic swimming gold medal, supports the Soul Cap’s inclusivity. According to an AP News report, he said, ?Anything that can help the sport have more athletes of color is one less thing to worry about.??

2023 World Aquatics Championships

The competition runs till 30th July with around 2400 athletes taking part from 195 countries around the world. This is the 20th World Aquatics Championships, which is seeing swimmers competing in around 75 events. The People’s Republic of China is dominating the competition with 13 gold medals. Following suit is Japan and Germany, who are both tied at 4.

Read more: USA Swimming 2023: List of America?s Favourites Gearing Up for Fukuoka World Championship

While elite swimmers might not have fully embraced the Soul Cap yet, influential figures like Bob Bowman consider it the next big thing. Renowned for his partnership with Michael Phelps, Bowman compared the Soul Cap to jammer swimsuits, which encouraged a lot of young males to start swimming. After proving to be effective at the grassroots level, Soul Caps will look to attract elite swimmers starting with the ongoing World Aquatics Championships.

The Soul Cap’s journey has just begun, with its true effects expected to unfold over the years. It has the potential to make a real difference in the sport of swimming and remains on track to make the sport more inclusive and accessible for everyone.

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