The president of the International Swimming Federation, Husain Al-Musallam, has brought the subject of transgender athletes back on the table by announcing the creation of an "open category" to allow them to compete separately.
His colleague Sebastian Coe, president of the International Athletics Federation, was therefore also pushed to speak on the issue.
"My responsibility is to protect the integrity of women's sport," said Sebastian Coe, present Sunday in Budapest.
"If we have to adjust the protocols in the future, we will," he added, noting that if pushed to choose between "equity" and "inclusion," he would "always side with the 'equity ".
Fina's decision comes as the swimming world has been rocked by a controversy over American transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.
The 22-year-old student, born male, had become the first transgender swimmer to win a university title in the spring.
His victory in mid-March in the final of the 500 yards had opened a wide debate, his detractors believing that having competed as a man in the past, Lia Thomas benefited from an unfair physiological advantage.
“Biology trumps gender”
"We see an international federation that asserts its supremacy in establishing the rules, regulations and policies that are in the best interest of its sport", returned Sebastian Coe.
“That's how it should be.
We have always believed, and we constantly repeat this, that biology trumps gender and we will continue to review our rules accordingly.
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According to the rules of the International Athletics Federation, transgender women must have sufficiently low testosterone levels for at least twelve months before a competition.
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Transgender
Sebastian Coe