Swimming caps specifically for swimmers with Afro haircuts will not be allowed to be worn at the Olympics later this month. The Fina international swimming federation has an app for ‘Soul Hat’ reject. “No swimmer has ever asked for a hat of this shape,” the union said.
Rejection is news in the UK. There, Alice Dearing recently became the first black female British swimmer to qualify for Team GB at the Olympics. They will be held in Tokyo later this month. Dearing is one of the dolls of the Soul Cap company, which makes swimming caps for swimmers with very long or thick hair. Their tagline is ‘Great Treatment for Big Hair‘.
However, the Soul Cap’s application to be certified as an official competition swimming cap was rejected by the International Swimming Federation. The hat ‘does not conform to the natural shape of the head’, British newspapers report among other things Security. “To our knowledge, athletes competing in international competitions have never requested or worn a hat of this size and shape.”
‘Not included’
The refusal runs counter to the sore feet of the British Black Swimmers Confederation for “removing athletes from their background”. “This is not an inclusive decision. It goes against the message of diversity that other sports associations are trying to convey,” Danielle Obe, president of the association, told Sky Sports. She said that it is very difficult for swimmers with Afro haircuts to find a hat that fits.
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