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A transgender swimmer at the center of a national controversy earlier this year has been banned from World Aquatics until 2030 and stripped of all competitive results from June 2022 to October 2024 after refusing to take a gender confirmation test.
Ana Caldas was placed on the Aquatics Integrity Unit’s list of suspended persons this week for violating articles of the World Aquatics Code of Integrity related to providing false information and defining the criteria for men’s and women’s competition categories.
World Aquatics changed its gender eligibility policy in 2022, limiting the participation of transgender women in the women’s category to those who transitioned before the age of 12 or before reaching Tanner Stage 2 of puberty.
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General view during the World Aquatics Men’s Water Polo World Cup Division2 Qualifying Final match Romania vs. China at the Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europa-Sportpark (SSE) on May 7, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Caldas drew national scrutiny in May after winning five gold medals at a US Masters Swimming event in San Antonio, Texas, sparking an outcry from some of Caldas’ detractors. Caldas dominated the women’s 45-49 age category in five races, including the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke, freestyle and 100-yard individual medley.
Louisiana woman and longtime swimmer Wendy Enderle, who competed against Caldas at that event and in the past, said she felt “betrayed” because she was never made aware of Caldas’ birth sex.
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On Thursday, Enderle made a statement to Pakinomist Digital about World Aquatics’ decision to ban Caldas until 2030.
“I applaud World Aquatics for their decision to uphold fairness and integrity in competitive swimming. I feel vindicated and validated, not just for myself, but for all the girls and women who have been forced to compete against men posing as women in our sport,” Enderle said.
“Getting to stand on the podium at the Masters World Championships in any position is a big thing! I feel for the women who were denied that opportunity by Ana/Hannah/Hugo in 2024 when he stood on three podiums in Doha. I’m glad that the women who lost that opportunity will get their rightful places and awards.”
Members of Team United States jump in the pool prior to the Women’s Water Polo quarterfinal match between the United States and Japan on day nine of the Singapore 2025 World Aquatics Championships at the OCBC Aquatic Center on July 19, 2025 in Singapore. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the USMS in July over the San Antonio incident.
“I am suing US Masters Swimming for engaging in the illegal practice of allowing men to compete in women’s events,” Paxton said in a post on X announcing the lawsuit. “The organization has kowtowed to radical activists pushing for gender war, and this lawsuit will hold the USMS accountable for its actions.”
