Ana Caldas
AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says his office has launched an investigation into U.S. Masters Swimming over potential violations of state law after the organization allowed a transgender athlete to compete in women’s events at the 2025 Spring Nationals swim meet last month in San Antonio.
The AG’s office says its investigation will uncover documents related to U.S. Masters Swimming and determine if the organization engaged in false, deceptive and misleading acts and practices.
“The policy of US Masters Swimming, which allows men to compete in women’s events, is reprehensible and could violate Texas’s consumer protection laws,” Paxton said. “Not only is this policy insulting to female athletes, but it also demonstrates deep contempt for women and may violate Texas law.
“I will fight to stop these unfair policies and never back down from defending the integrity of women’s sports.”
According to reports, 47-year-old Ana Caldas won all five races she competed in last month at the event in the women’s age 45-49 category. Those races were the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke and freestyle as well as the 100-yard individual medley.
Video footage on social media shows Caldas with a large lead over the other competitors.
“He won them all,” tweeted Riley Gaines, women’s rights activist and a former college swimmer. “Real-life South Park episode.”
One of the other swimmers in that age category filed a request for eligibility review on Caldas.
Top of FormU.S. Masters Swimming’s policy allows transgender swimmers to participate in the gender competition category in which they identify, and they may also be recognized for accomplishments, if certain conditions are met.
Transgender swimmers who do not meet those requirements can still participate in the women’s races, but their times are removed from the submitted results. They also are not eligible for official times, places, points, records, Top 10 or other forms of official recognition.
Caldas’ performances at the event have led to numerous calls for U.S. Masters Swimming to change its policy regarding transgender athletes.
“There is no length of time during which testosterone suppression eliminates male advantage; therefore, it should not serve as a guideline permitting men to compete in women’s swimming,” The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) wrote to U.S. Masters Swimming. “At a minimum, it is USMS’s responsibility to enforce its current policy.”
In Texas, consumer protection laws prohibit deceptive trade practices and any “unconscionable action or course of action,” which is anything that takes advantage of a person’s lack of knowledge, ability, experience or capacity.
For example, it could be argued the female athletes were misled about the fairness of the rules for the competition and that there a violation of those state consumer protection laws.
Caldas also has competed in the women’s division in CrossFit competitions since at least 2012, and she previously was a competitive swimmer in the early 2000s before transitioning.
The NCAA recently changed its transgender policy to align with the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
