The Tokyo Olympics has denied certification for a Black-owned swimming cap company to provide caps swimmers, Yahoo! Entertainment reports.
The International Swimming Federation, FINA, which the International Olympic Committee recognizes, has denied Soul Cap from being certified to provide products to swimmers.
In a statement, the FINA committee said to the best of their “best knowledge, the athletes competing at the International events never used, neither require to use, caps of such size and configuration,” saying the caps don’t follow “the natural form of the head.”
Soul Cap is a Black-owned company that designs swimming caps specifically for natural hair so that swimmers don’t have to struggle with caps that may be too tight to fit around their natural hair. In response, Soul Cap wrote a statement saying they are disappointed by FINA’s decision. They highlighted the need for inclusivity within the sport, Yahoo! Entertainment reports.
“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,” said co-founders Toks Ahmed and Michael Chapman. “For younger swimmers, feeling included and seeing yourself in a sport at a young age is crucial. FINA’s recent dismissal could discourage many younger athletes from pursuing the sport as they progress through local, county and national competitive swimming.”
The company continued, ” We feel there’s always room for improvement, but there’s only so much grassroots and small brands can do — we need the top to be receptive to positive change. A huge thanks to all who have supported us and our work so far. We don’t see this as a setback, but a chance to open up a dialogue to make a bigger difference.”
