Athletes will not be allowed to wear swim caps created for natural hair while competing in the coming Olympics
- Swimming caps designed for natural hair by a Black-owned brand will not be allowed at the Olympics.
- Metro reports that the International Swimming Federation decided there's no need for the gear.
- The group also said the caps didn't fit "the natural form of the head."
Inclusive swim caps created for natural hair will not be permitted during this year's Summer Olympics, according to Metro.
The publication reported Wednesday that the International Swimming Federation, known as FINA, rejected an application to certify products from the Black-owned brand Soul Cap for competition swimming.
As Metro reported, the FINA committee said it would not permit the swim caps because given the group's "best knowledge," competing athletes "never used, neither require to use, caps of such size and configuration."
It also said the caps would not be permitted because they didn't fit "the natural form of the head."
Toks Ahmed and Michael Chapman, the founders of Soul Cap, told Metro they felt the FINA committee had failed to "acknowledge the diversity of competitive swimmers," especially during a time when they said there had been an "increase in swimmers from ethnic-minority backgrounds qualifying for the Olympics."
The duo shared a similar sentiment on their brand's Instagram page, writing that having the swim caps certified for competitions would have aided their goal of increasing diversity in swimming. They said their caps would keep swimmers from having to choose between "the sport they love and their hair."
"For younger swimmers, feeling included and seeing yourself in a sport at a young age is crucial," the statement continued. "FINA's recent dismissal could discourage many younger athletes from pursuing the sport as they progress through local, county, and national competitive swimming."
Representatives for Soul Cap and FINA did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.