12-Year-Old Swimmer Nearly Disqualified for Wearing ‘Black Lives Matter’ Suit

During a swim meet in Superior, Wisconsin on Sunday at Superior High School, 12-year-old swimmer Leidy Lyons was nearly disqualified for wearing a bathing suit with the slogan ‘Black Lives Matter.’ Duluth YMCA officials overturned the disqualification, and Lyons was allowed to compete in the bathing suit. 

Lyons created the bathing suit herself after hearing about Amir Locke being fatally shot by the Minneapolis police on February 2.

According to Lyons’s mother, Sarah Lyons, the official claimed that Lyons’s bathing suit violated USA Swimming’s policy against political language and told the young swimmer that if she did not change, she would be disqualified. 

The Duluth YMCA Northerns Swim Team is a dual-sanctioned YMCA and USA Swimming program.

The 2022 USA Swimming Rulebook states that political statements are not allowed on athletes’ swimwear, but does not further define what a political statement is.

YMCA rules don’t appear to outlaw political statements on suits outright, though there are some limitations on using YMCA resources to publicize political campaigns or committees (to maintain non-profit status).

In an interview with CBS Duluth, Sarah Lyons said, ““She said, ‘mom, I’m not taking the suit off, and I said ‘you go girl’ and ‘okay,’” said Lyons. 

Sarah Lyons then called Classie Dudley, the NAACP Duluth Branch President to explain her daughter’s disqualification. 

“The official originally stated that it was politically motivated and that it goes against their policy of no political speech,” Dudley said in an interview with the Duluth News Tribune. “Leidy is 12 and she’s trying to share the fact that she matters. There’s nothing political about that.” Dudley drove to Superior High School to assist with the situation at hand. 

The official then changed the disqualification from political speech to logo size. The 2022 USA Swimming Rulebook states that regarding logo size, “A total of three separate advertising logos of a maximum size of 30 square centimeters (4.65 sq. in.) each, measured as worn, shall be permitted.”

“I didn’t want to entertain that because it was obviously untrue,” Dudley told the Duluth News Tribune. “Even if it was too big, Black Lives Matter isn’t a logo like Adidas. And if you’re telling me that Black Lives Matter has been whittled down to a political statement or a logo, then you’re basically telling me that Black lives don’t matter.” 

While it’s hard to measure from pictures how big the words were, USA Swimming limits logos to “a total of three separate advertising logos of a maximum size of 30 square centimeters (4.65 sq. in.) each.” The text appears larger than this logo.

Within ten-minutes of Dudley’s arrival at the swim meet, Lyons’s disqualification was overruled by the Duluth Family YMCA vice-president, and Lyons was allowed to continue competing. 

The official who made the initial disqualification was removed from officiating duties, and will be blocked from future Duluth Family YMCA meets. 

Duluth Family YMCA has since released a statement about the incident.

“The Duluth YMCA is saddened that the student, their family, and teammates had to endure this unacceptable behavior. The Duluth YMCA will continue our ongoing commitment to train all staff and volunteers on diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the statement said. “The Duluth Area Family YMCA is committed to being an anti-racist organization and stands with BIPOC communities throughout the Northland and throughout our country. We know that Black Lives Matter and we will continue to work to educate ourselves, to stand against inequality, and to strive to be active allies in the ongoing fight for diversity, equity and inclusion.”

SwimSwam has reached out to USA Swimming for more information about the “political statements” rule, and is awaiting response.

The Full USA Swimming rules governing swimwear are below:

USA Swimming Rule 102.8 SWIMWEAR

1. Design 
2. Swimwear shall include only a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. It is not permissible to wear more than two (2) caps. Armbands or leg bands shall not be regarded as parts of the swimsuit and are not allowed. 
3. In swimming competitions, the swimmer must wear only one swimsuit in one or two pieces, except as provided in 205.10.1. All swimsuits shall be made from textile materials.  For men, the swimsuit shall not extend above the navel nor below the knees, and for women, shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder, nor extend below the knee (see 701.4.4 for open water exception).

1. Exemptions to the foregoing restriction may be granted to a swimmer, on a case by case basis, by the Chair of the Rules & Regulations Committee (or his/her designee). Exemptions will be granted only for conflicts due to the swimmer’s verified religious beliefs, verified medical conditions or other reasons deemed appropriate by the Rules Chair. 
2.  Procedures for applying for an exemption will be established by the Rules & Regulations Committee and posted on the USA Swimming website. 
3. No exemption to this restriction will be granted for a swimsuit that will give the swimmer a competitive advantage. 
4. The decision of the Rules Chair may be appealed only to the entire Rules & Regulations Committee, whose decision shall be final and binding on all parties. C 

1. Only swimsuits complying with FINA swimsuit specifications may be worn in any USA Swimming sanctioned or approved competition. 
2. Swimsuits worn for competition must be non-transparent and conform to the current concept of the appropriate. 
3. No swimmer is permitted to wear or use any device, substance or swimsuit to help his/ her speed, pace, buoyancy or endurance during a race (such as webbed gloves, flippers, fins, power bands, adhesive substances, etc.). Goggles may be worn, and rubdown oil applied if not considered excessive by the Referee. Therapeutic elastic tape is prohibited. Any other kind of tape on the body is not permitted unless approved by the Referee. 
4. No Technical Suits shall be worn by any 12 & Under USA Swimming athlete member in competition at any sanctioned, approved or observed meet. 

1. Exceptions to the foregoing restriction are only for Junior Nationals, U.S. Open, National Championships, and Olympic Trials. 
2. A Technical Suit is one that has the following components: a. Any suit with any bonded or taped seams regardless of its fabric or silhouette; or b. Any suit with woven fabric extending past the hips. 

(Note: WOVEN FABRIC — A suit with woven fabric and sewn seams that does not extend below the hips is permitted.) 

(Note: KNIT FABRIC — A suit with knit fabric and sewn seams not extending below the knees is permitted.) 

2. Insignia — Swimmers may wear the insignia and/or name of the club or organization they represent or of which they are a member or the insignia of their FINA National Federation or Organizing Committees for Olympic, World, Continental or Regional Championships, except as otherwise provided in 202.9.3 for international competition and in FINA rules GR5 and GR6. Swimmers shall not be allowed to wear the insignia and/or name of any club or organization which they are not entitled to represent in open competition, if such action is objectionable to that club or organization.

Advertising 

1. Advertising means the normal display of the name, designation, trademark, logo, or any other distinctive sign of the manufacturer of the item or any other advertiser permitted in accordance with this rule. FINA labeling and the USA Swimming logo or club logo shall not be considered as advertisements. Logos of the swimwear manufacturer shall be considered as advertising and are included in the limits described in (1) through (3) below. In the competition venue or complex of all events conducted by and under the control of USA Swimming or any LSC or division thereof, advertising appearing on swimwear is allowed as follows: 
   1. Swimsuits — A total of three separate advertising logos of a maximum size of 30 square centimeters (4.65 sq. in.) each, measured as worn, shall be permitted. 
   2. Caps — A total of three separate advertising logos of a maximum size of 20 square centimeters (3.1 sq. in.) each, as measured as applied, shall be permitted. A club logo is not considered as advertising and is not subject to the size limitations. 
   3. Goggles — A total of three separate advertising logos of a maximum size of 6 square centimeters (.9 sq. in.) each, as measured as applied, shall be permitted, but only on the spectacle frame or band. 

1. Body advertising in the form of temporary tattoos or other embellishments is not allowed.
2. Advertising for the following shall not be allowed: 

1. Products involving tobacco, nicotine, psychoactive cannabinoids, alcohol or pharmaceuticals containing substances banned under IOC or FINA rules;
2. Political statements; and
3. Any products or services that would be counter to the values of the sport or bring disrepute to USA Swimming.
4. Swimmers in violation of the above provisions may be barred from the competition venue until they comply. However, any swimmer who competes in an event wearing swimwear in violation of these advertising provisions shall not be subject to disqualification.