FINA Executive Director Brent Nowicki said in a press release obtained by Insider that Soul Cap was authorized Thursday after a "period of review and discussion on cap design" between the company and the athletic organization.
"Promoting diversity and inclusivity is at the heart of FINA's work, and it is very important that all aquatic athletes have access to the appropriate swimwear," he wrote.
One of Soul Cap's founders, Toks Ahmed, also wrote in the release that the approval plays a big part in the company's mission to improve accessibility in swimming.
"We're so grateful to everyone who showed support and was part of creating this major change," Ahmed wrote. "As a new father and someone who didn't learn to swim growing up, creating access for the next generation feels even more close to home."
Soul Cap has made history before. According to Metro, the company collaborated with swimmer Alice Dearing, the first Black woman to represent Great Britain in swimming at the Olympics.
The athlete is also one of the co-founders of the Black Swimming Association, a group she started with inventor Danielle Obe, film producer Ed Accura, and journalist Seren Jones, according to Swimming World Magazine. The association's goal is to "tackle inequalities and barriers that preclude African, Caribbean, and Asian communities from participating in aquatics," the magazine notes.
Dearing told NPR that she was excited by the news and knows "a lot of people value the option this cap brings them when going swimming."
"Knowing that it is acceptable to compete in this cap at the highest level of sport sends a message that hair should not be a barrier which stops people from participating," she added.
Representatives for the Black Swimming Association did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, but the organization tweeted "we couldn't be happier" Friday after Soul Cap was authorized.
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