Australian trans athlete Hannah Mouncey has slammed the FINA decision to ban trans swimmers and dispelled theories that transgender women have a biological advantage.
Mouncey represents Australia in the women’s handball having previously represented her country in the men’s handball before transitioning.
She has played in both the AFL and VFL women’s competitions, however, her eligibility in such competitions has been subject to controversy in the past.
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Mouncey has been an activist for trans athlete rights in the past and has rubbished claims that trans athletes have an advantage over females in competition in wake of the recent FINA decision.
She told ABC News Breakfast: “The testosterone depravation negates any strength that might happen or you might have had anyway.
“From my experience, my bench press in 12 months went from 150kg to 60.
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“A squat went from 200 to about 70 and a clean from 140 to 60.”
Swimming's world governing body, FINA voted to restrict transgender swimmers from competing in women's elite events.
The issue of trans athletes competing in women’s sports shot to the forefront after Lia Thomas became the first trans athlete to win a National Collegiate Athletic Association title in the 500-yard freestyle event.
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A total of 71 per cent of voters opted to stop trans athletes from competing in women's elite races if they have gone through any part of the process of male puberty, meaning transgender competitors will have now had to have completed their transition by the age of 12.
Mouncey also believed the decision could only have a negative impact on the mental health athletes such as Lia Thomas.
She continued: “It really does affect people's lives, you know, Lia Thomas, she's the one that this has been brought in for.
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“I don't think anyone can hide from that.
“It's going to have a huge effect on her and I really hope swimming are supporting her in a way that other sporting bodies haven't done with other athletes when they have been banned from competition.”
Hannah Mouncey publicly identified as a woman in 2016 after beginning her hormone therapy in Qatar while competing in a 2016 Olympics qualifying tournament.
She has been a strong advocate for trans rights in sport after being denied entry into the AFL Women’s draft in 2017. She was eventually allowed to play in the following year's season.
Topics: Australia, Australia Afl, Lia Thomas, Swimming, Aussie Rules Football
Jayden Collins