A so-called “transgender” athlete is set to compete in a women’s water polo club tournament for the second year in a row, according to several reports.
Johnny “Alicia” Paans, 31, is a graduate student on the University of Michigan women’s club water polo team. Paans will reportedly compete in the 2024 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, starting Friday.
Paans competed on the team in 2023, where he won the national women’s title against the University of California-Santa Barbara. According to Reduxx, Paans scored goals in a 17 to 5 defeat against the University of Virginia, and in a 17 to 6 defeat against the University of Washington (via Reduxx):
The club’s official Instagram account recently named Paans as “player of the week,” boasting that he is also a state chess champion in the women’s category, having won second place at the Michigan Chess Association women’s open in 2022.
🚨NEW🚨
— REDUXX (@ReduxxMag) April 30, 2024
A trans-identified male is set to compete in the National Collegiate Water Polo Championships this weekend with the @UMich women's club water polo team.
Johnny "Alicia" Paans, 31, is also a women's chess champion in Michigan.https://t.co/I8X8fMB39F
Reduxx noted that Paans, who is from the Netherlands, was going by his birth name in 2013. Paans reportedly immigrated to California in 2017 when he began an internship for Volo San Diego, a sports club. And, the parents of Paans’ opponents have confirmed to the outlet that he uses the female locker rooms and facilities when he competes.
In January, the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Board of Directors released a policy and appeal process allowing so-called “transgender” athletes to compete on teams that align with their gender identity instead of their biological sex.
“The Collegiate Water Polo Association is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable sports environment for all those who wish to participate. 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. Transgender athletes who identify as male may participate in the Co-ed League (commonly referred to as the Men’s League). Transgender athletes who identify as female are eligible to compete in both the Co-ed League and the Women’s League,” the policy states.