The governing body of international swimming has handed down a lengthy ban to an American recreational swimmer. World Aquatics announced that Hannah Caldas will be barred from competition until October 2030 following an investigation into her participation at the 2024 Masters World Championships in Doha.
Sources say that the organization found multiple violations related to integrity standards and eligibility requirements for women’s competition categories.
According to the governing body, Caldas violated provisions concerning false information, honest conduct, and sex certification criteria. The suspension also disqualifies all her competition results spanning from June 2022 through October 2024.
The controversy centers on World Aquatics’ demand that Caldas undergo genetic testing to verify her chromosomal makeup—a requirement she refused on privacy and financial grounds.
“Chromosomal tests are invasive and expensive procedures,” Caldas said in a statement released through New York Aquatics. “My insurance refuses to cover such a test because it is not medically necessary.”
Caldas noted that she had already provided World Aquatics with her birth certificate identifying her as female, but the organization insisted on additional testing to confirm compliance with its gender policy requirements.
Unlike elite professional competition, Masters events offer no prize money. Athletes pay their own travel expenses, with Caldas spending thousands of dollars to attend the Doha championships.
“I understand and accept the consequences of not complying with a World Aquatics investigation,” she continued. “But if a five-year suspension is the price I must pay to protect my most intimate medical information, then it’s a price I am happy to pay—for myself, and for every other woman who does not want to submit to highly invasive medical testing just to swim in an older-adult competition.”
The situation has created a jurisdictional divide between international and national swimming authorities. While World Aquatics has imposed its ban, U.S. Masters Swimming reached a different conclusion following its own review process. In August, USMS’s Eligibility Review Panel determined that Caldas was eligible to compete in the female category at domestic events, including the 2025 Masters Spring Nationals.
Caldas has been cleared of misconduct allegations by U.S. Masters Swimming regarding her participation in sanctioned American events.
The three-decade veteran of Masters swimming has indicated she intends to step away from sanctioned competition entirely, citing concerns beyond the suspension itself.
“I have been swimming in sanctioned events for over 30 years, and I am prepared to let it all go. My life and privacy have been invaded enough,” she said. “It is time to prioritize my health and personal safety.”
According to the statement, Caldas has received violent threats in recent months related to her participation in swimming events. She has no plans to compete in either U.S. Masters Swimming or World Aquatics Masters meets in the foreseeable future.
