The International Swimming Federation said the caps do not follow « the natural form of the head, » according to the company.
Swimming caps designed for natural Black hair — and created by a Black-owned company — will not be allowed at the upcoming in Tokyo. The International Swimming Federation (FINA) rejected an application submitted last year by the British brand Soul Cap for its products to be officially recognized. The decision means the caps cannot be worn at the upcoming Games, the company said. Soul Cap makes swimming caps designed to protect thick, curly, and voluminous hair. FINA said the caps do not follow « the natural form of the head, » Soul Cap told BBC News. « We hoped to further our work for diversity in swimming by having our swim caps certified for competition, so swimmers at any level don’t have to choose between the sport they love and their hair, » co-founders Toks Ahmed and Michael Champman wrote in a statement shared on social media. The company recently partnered with Alice Dearing, who qualified last week to be the first Black female swimmer to represent Great Britain at the Olympics.
