‘He’s just laughing at these women’: Trans swimmer dominates championship, depriving more women of medals

A male who identifies as female won all five events he entered at the U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championship, held over the weekend in San Antonio, Texas, Reduxx reports.

Ana Caldas, who was formerly known as Hugo and then Hannah, is another example of a man robbing women of athletic championships – and he’s done it in three sports.

Competing in the 45-49 age category, Caldas, who is originally from Portugal, won the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke, the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard individual medley.

A spokeswoman for the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) called the swimmer’s success “absolutely insane.”

“He’s just laughing at these women,” Reduxx quoted the spokeswoman as saying.

ICONS emailed the U.S. Masters Swimming Board after Caldas’ first win but received no reply. The email protested the governing body’s policy allowing men who have had hormone therapy and demonstrate testosterone levels below 5 nmol/L to compete against women. 

“Transparency in these matters is critical to maintaining the integrity of the competition and the trust of all USMS athletes,” the council wrote. “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.” 

Caldas has tried to hide that he is male, and it was not clear if other swimmers at the tournament knew he was a man, Reduxx reported. The athlete has competed with women for years and has also won championships in rowing and CrossFit. 

Before identifying as a woman, he was part of an Ohio swimming team for gay men in the early 2000s. But by the late 2000s, he was showing up in women’s competitions – with great success. 

“As a male athlete participating in women’s swimming, Caldas has held 7 individual U.S. Masters national records and 6 relay records, taking 7 All-American honors and a USMS Pool All-Star honor in 2010, 2011, and 2012,” HeCheated.org posted on X. “He currently holds 1 individual and 2 national relay records along with 37 Masters state records in Arizona and North Carolina.” 

In addition to the weekend’s swimming titles, “Caldas also set 6 South American ‘women’s’ records and took 1st place medals in four women’s events and two mixed relays including the 160-199 mixed 200m freestyle relay in which the team set a new FINA master’s world record” last year, HeCheated reported. 

At one time he was ranked the fastest female Masters swimmer in the world for over age 30 in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, Reduxx reported, and tied the women’s open 500 indoor rowing world record in 2021. 

Social media users roundly criticized Caldas. 

“This man is a hulking BEAST. He doesn’t even try to be a woman!  It’(s) just blatant cheating and stealing from Women!!” posted one with a muscular shot of Caldas. 

“I never want to hear ‘but there are only a few trans athletes’ ever again. This cheating needs to stop!” another posted. 

Brett Craig, chief commercial officer for women’s athletics brand XX-XY, made a video about Caldas, documenting his success at the expense of women and highlighting his muscular form. 

“If you told people that a man that looked like this would get to compete in the women’s category a few years ago, you would have been laughed at. Today, you’d be condemned as insensitive and uncaring,” he said. 

Craig also explained why President Trump’s executive order banning males from women’s sports isn’t enough to end the practice. “US Masters Swimming is a private sports governing body and they (can) just ignore the president’s executive order, and that’s exactly what they did.” 

“So what’s up, US Masters Swimming?” he asked. “Why won’t you stand up for women? Why won’t you protect women and their opportunities and spaces?”