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.