A stance on transgender athletes made by one of the world's most important athletic federations has sent ripples throughout the 📉 rest of the sports world and some fear it may bring even wider changes to come.

The governing body of international 📉 competitive swimming announced a policy that will only allow athletes who've transitioned before the age of 12 to take part 📉 in any of the elite international swimming competitions.

Lia Thomas, second left, of Penn University and transgender swimmer Iszac Henig (L) 📉 of Yale pose with their medals after placing first and second in the 100-yard freestyle swimming race at the 2022 📉 Ivy League Women's Swimming & Diving Championships at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

The decision made 📉 by FINA pointed to what the organization says is a "performance gap" that emerges between biological males and females during 📉 puberty.