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Swimming hats for Afro hair have been barred from the Olympics as the official body says elite athletes ‘don’t require caps of such size’. [THREAD] https://trib.al/jOKJT70 pic.twitter.com/IVDOpLhX16
Black-owned swimming hat brand @soulcapofficial is dedicated to bringing inclusive swimwear to marginalised communities.
Their larger caps are designed to accommodate diverse hair types.
https://trib.al/jOKJT70 pic.twitter.com/BeFRYU3eBw
The brand was created in 2017 when co-founders Toks Ahmed and Michael Champman started adult swimming lessons for the first time. They met a woman with Afro hair who was struggling with the size of her swim cap. https://trib.al/jOKJT70 pic.twitter.com/TDb8N7OXxh
Since then, the brand has provided 40,000 caps to swimmers globally, and they have partnered with elite swimmer Alice Dearing who is set to make history as the first Black women to represent Great Britain in swimming at the Olympics. https://trib.al/jOKJT70 pic.twitter.com/vtiaoYVATR
SOUL CAP has been denied by @fina1908 (the federation for international competitions in water sports) from their approval process to become certified to wear for competition swimming.pic.twitter.com/mDbc671bg1
Their reasoning? To their ‘best knowledge, the athletes competing at the International events never used, neither require to use, caps of such size and configuration’. The Committee also deemed them unsuitable as they don't ‘follow the natural form of the head’.
SOUL CAP's co-founders say they are disappointed in this ‘failure to acknowledge the diversity of competitive swimmers’. 'For younger swimmers, feeling included and seeing yourself in a sport at a young age is crucial.' https://trib.al/jOKJT70 pic.twitter.com/HKS6k4nLhy
‘How do we achieve participation and representation in the world of competition swimmers, if the governing body stops suitable swimwear being available to those who are underrepresented?’https://trib.al/jOKJT70
Discrimination in swimming has a long and dark history. There's no truth in the stereotype that Black people ‘can’t swim’ because Black people’s ‘bones are denser’ - the idea is steeped in deep-rooted racism.https://trib.al/jOKJT70
Recent figures from @Sport_England show 95% of Black adults and 80% of Black children do not go swimming.
‘Swimming was never really seen as a Black person’s sport. Kids weren’t chasing it, parents weren’t encouraging it, teachers at school weren’t promoting it,’ Michael says.
It's not just the stereotyping, Toks adds, it’s also the lack of available kit for your hair type – and not seeing many other people of colour competing.
‘We feel the rejection comes from lack of thought, without full consideration for diversity and the different requirements non-white athletes may have,’ Toks tells @MetroUKpic.twitter.com/lmSMmymYdV
'There’s only so much grassroots and small brands can do – we need the top to be receptive to positive change.’https://trib.al/jOKJT70
In better hair news, all UK trainee hairdressers will now learn how to cut and style Afro hair as standard 
https://metro.co.uk/2021/07/01/all-hairdressers-to-learn-to-cut-and-style-afro-hair-as-standard-14857191/?ito=socialmetrouktwitter …
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