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The cap was designed by a company called Soul Cap and is different to normal swimming caps because its shape accommodates more hair. It was banned for use before the Tokyo Olympics because ‘it did not fit the normal shape of a head’ but after much deserved protestation, the swimming governing body has tumble-turned into giving these caps the go ahead.

Why is this important?

In the UK, 80% of black children can’t swim which is a worrying statistic, especially for an island nation. In the US, the same number stands at 64% and if you look at international swimming events such as the Olympics, Paralympics and World Championships, there are very few black swimmers, male and female, in the pool.

Alice Dearing has been making waves: she was Team GB’s first black female swimmer at the Tokyo Olympics, swimming in the marathon event, and is a founder of the Black Swimming Association, who have worked alongside Soul Cap to bring about the change in regulations. As she recently said on The Game Changers podcast, chlorine can damage black people’s hair and ‘it can be difficult to even get your hair in a state that you can get a cap over it’. This could be enough to deter women and girls going for a swim, especially if they have to go to school or work afterwards. As Alice says, ‘It might not be worth going through the effort in the first place.’