U of Michigan trans athlete, 31, sparks outrage over competing at national water polo tournament for second time

A 31-year-old transgender athlete is set to compete in a women’s water polo tournament for the second straight year, much to their opponents’ ire.

Alicia Paans, a graduate student on the University of Michigan women’s club water polo team, will participate in the 2024 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, starting Friday.

Paans was on the 2023 Wolverine’s National Champions team that defeated UC Santa Barbara 8-6 in the final.

Paans scored multiple times in the school’s two blowout matches leading up to the championship, beating Virginia 17-5 and Washington 17-6.

In January, the Collegiate Water Polo Association released its policy and appeal process that would allow trans athletes to compete in their preferred gender competition.

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“The Collegiate Water Polo Association is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable sports environment for all those who wish to participate,” the policy states. “This policy aims to provide guidelines for the participation of transgender athletes at the collegiate club level, ensuring fairness, respect, and equal opportunities for all.”

The league allows “transgender athletes who identify as female” to compete in the women’s and co-ed leagues as long as two requirements are met.

The athlete must provide a letter of confirmation confirming their gender identity, and a medical validation which includes either a testosterone level below “10 nmol/L within 60 days prior to their first competition,” or written confirmation from a health care physician.

Paans, a native of the Netherlands, first moved to the US to intern at the social sports club Volo San Diego in 2017, according to the “pro-woman, pro-child safeguarding” website Reduxx.

She began her work toward a social work degree at Ann Arbor in 2023.

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Outside of water polo, Paans placed runner-up in the Women’s Open of the Michigan Chess Association’s championship in 2022, according to the Independent Council for Women’s Sports (ICONS).

Parents of Michigan’s opponents told the ICONS that Paans uses the female locker rooms at the matches, Reduxx confirmed.

“My husband and I saw [Paans] first, standing aside the pool before [University of Michigan’s] first game. We looked at each other in surprise, and immediately knew it was a man,” one mother told the site. “I observed Alicia quite a bit over the tournament, partly out of concern for the women, and also wondering how [her] teammates acted around [her].”

Paans’ scheduled participation in this week’s tournament has led some people to express their outrage on social media.

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“Other than possibly basketball, water polo may involve the most dramatic difference in ability/performance between men & women. I played H2O polo, and the (difference) is incredible between men and women,” one X user wrote. “Starting with a HUGE advantage with hand size, but also lower body strength to get out of the water, and upper body strength to rip shots. Plus HUGE difference in acceleration.”

Others directed their frustration over Panns’ age gap over the college students.

“31 and still in college?” one user wrote on X.

“Why are 31 (year) olds in college?” another added.

The University of Michigan women’s club water polo kicks off the 2024 tournament against Texas Tech on Friday.

Five West Virginia middle schoolers who protested a transgender athlete’s participation in a track and field competition were barred from future meets earlier this week.

The Lincoln Middle School students stepped up to the circle for their turn before refusing to throw in the event, which was won by Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 13-year-old girl who takes puberty-blocking medication and estrogen hormone therapy.

With Post wires

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