Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into U.S. Masters Swimming after the organization allowed a transgender swimmer to compete in women’s events at the 2025 Spring Nationals held last month in San Antonio.
In a press release issued Monday, the Attorney General’s office said the investigation will determine if U.S. Masters Swimming “engaged in false, deceptive, and misleading acts and practices.”
“The policy of U.S. Masters Swimming, which allows men to compete in women’s events, is reprehensible and could violate Texas’s consumer protection laws,” said Paxton.
“Not only is this policy insulting to female athletes, but it also demonstrates deep contempt for women and may violate Texas law. I will fight to stop these unfair policies and never back down from defending the integrity of women’s sports.”
The announcement comes after Ana Caldas, a transgender woman, won five events in the women’s 45-49 age group at the 2025 USMS Spring Nationals.
The 47-year-old won the 50 free (24.17), 100 free (53.16), 50 breast (29.74), 100 breast (1:06.69) and 100 IM (1:01.72).
Caldas, who has competed in the women’s division in CrossFit competitions dating back to 2012, was previously a competitive swimmer in the male division in the early 2000s before transitioning.
Ahead of the 2025 CrossFit Games season, the organization changed its rules dictating that athletes must now compete in the category that matches their sex at birth.
U.S. Masters Swimming, however, “allows transgender swimmers to participate in the gender competition category in which they identify.”
This differs from the rules put in place by the likes of World Aquatics, which only makes trans women eligible to compete in the women’s category if they have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 or after age 12, whichever is later. USA Swimming’s policy requires evidence that the athlete has maintained a testosterone level less than 5 nmol/L for a minimum period of 36 months, and there also needs to be evidence proving the athlete’s prior physical development as a male does not give them a competitive advantage.
The NCAA recently changed its transgender policy to align with the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, which disallows any trans women from competing in the women’s division.
Caldas’ performances last month have led to numerous calls for U.S. Masters Swimming to change its transgender policy, including The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) writing a letter to the USMS Board about the situation.
“There is no length of time during which testosterone suppression eliminates male advantage; therefore, it should not serve as a guideline permitting men to compete in women’s swimming. At a minimum, it is USMS’s responsibility to enforce its current policy,” ICONS wrote.
Texas’ consumer protection laws prohibit a long list of deceptive trade practices and any “unconscionable action or course of action,” which is anything that takes advantage of a person’s lack of knowledge, ability, experience or capacity. It could be ruled that there was a violation if it is argued that female athletes were misled about the fairness or rules of the competition, for example.
What is interesting is the meet seemed poorly attended. I wonder if that was due to the location?
Here’s a different perspective:
Does anyone care that this discussion and posturing About sexual identity might be destroying an innocent person? Does anyone care about her mental health? Does anyone care if she is legitimately female, male, both or neither? Does anyone care who she’s attracted to? Does anyone care that this discussion is destroying her livelihood? Does anyone care that masters swimming is recreational and doesn’t matter in the whole scheme of things?
If you are support Trump and his crap comments about male and females, that’s on you. In essence, what you are doing is convicting and killing another human being before knowing the FULL truth!
I swim masters and will continue. I support Ana. She shouldn’t… Read more »
Women too have thoughts and feelings about competition yet we’re expected to put our own feelings aside in favour of males. Enough of the gaslighting! And keep in mind that trans-men and non-binary females regularly compete in women’s sports without any objection from any group and without feeling that they are being convicted or killed. Quit the histrionics.
I am a long time Masters swimmers and volunteer. Whether I like the USMS policy on transgender swimmers or not (I happen to align more with the World Aquatics policy, if that matters) seems beside the point. As several pointed out, Ana followed USMS policy. What I really don’t like is a government official, and a criminal one at that, coming in and telling USMS how to run their business. Additionally, his comments were just so incendiary and inflammatory.
What I say to Masters swimmers who don’t like this policy – work within the organization to try to update the policy. Don’t let a state or federal government do that.
Yes, winning is nice, and I won many races in the past. I have also lost many times to faster swimmers. However, I don’t have a problem swimming with/against a transgender athlete. If that person beats me, they beat me – so be it! All I can control is my own race, as I strive to do my best time. If I get a PR and come in 2nd (or 23rd), I know I did the best I could.
And to Edna Mode’s comment about “are you suggesting to just make Masters competitions co-ed then?” In my LMSC, almost all of our Masters meets for years have been co-ed, with seeding based on times only (results are scored separately).… Read more »
I’m glad you are enjoying your experience with masters swimming. My LMSC Meets are the same and I enjoy the coed format. they are a lot of fun! When I travel across the country to compete against females in my age group, hoping to earn a top 10 medal or a coveted National champion patch, I expect the field to be all females and the race to be fair.
Nationals is lot of fun and seeing all the people from around the country is exciting. But I go there for the competition. If it’s not fair, why bother?
As I read through the comments, I see only one person referring to the USMS Policy on Transgender athletes. The organization has had a policy in place since 2005 and they updated it several times, most recently December 2024. I think they have done a good job in pursuit of a fair and inclusive way of dealing with this situation.
While I understand there is a concern around fairness, it seems Ana competed under the USMS rules, whether you like it or not.
Let’s remember this is a real person with thoughts, feelings, and a soul. Just like you. Those who have met Ana have already said she has been very nice behind the blocks and on the deck. I haven’t seen any comments here or elsewhere saying otherwise.
We don’t know the everything. Perhaps there is more to it.
It’s concerning knowing this will get more downvotes than upvotes.
It is sad that a person can only stand up for females or stand up for trans-women in sport. Nothing in this world is that black and white. Ana is fast and that is cool. The females that got second place to her are fast too. Inclusion is important AND fairness is important. Our trans sisters and brothers deserve their own division so they can compete in a fair competition and not have to deal with the hate.
Create a category for transgender athletes. How hard is that?
Stop minimizing that it is just masters swimming. It is a much larger issue in sports because sports is competitive and measured in competition. It is possible to support transgender athletes and to also support biologically born women competing against biologically born women. Let’s work to make it fair for all athletes to have fairness in competition. I am amazed at the anger and vitriol directed at women who want to compete against biologically born women.