A renowned scientist says decisions about transgender sport are being made out of discomfort rather than science.
It comes after swimming's world governing body FINA voted to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women's competitions and create a working group to establish an "open" category for them in some events, as part of its new policy.
The policy passed with a roughly 71 percent majority, with New Zealand one of the many countries to support the new strategy.
FINA's decision - the strictest by any Olympic sports body - was made during its general congress, after members heard a report from a transgender taskforce, comprising leading medical, legal and sports figures.
But Nanogirl scientist Dr Michelle Dickinson has suggested decisions about transgender sports are being made out of discomfort rather than science.
"I think it's a bit soon and not based on all the scientific evidence that we have. I think what we are doing is appeasing people who are feeling emotionally that this isn't fair," Dr Dickinson told AM on Tuesday.
Dr Dickinson said we need to be careful about creating new categories in sport and the impacts it could have on young people.
"Scientifically, we can see categorising by gender is maybe not the best way to do it in sport anyway. I worry about the effect it's going to have on some of our young people around where they feel they fit, especially when different sports are changing," she told AM.
"Cycling has changed, rowing has changed and now swimming has come in with a new open category. I think we just need to be really careful, if we are going to change how we group sports, and we are doing this mostly based on biology."
Dr Dickinson said we need to figure out the difference between "what is perceived as an advantage versus biologically".
"What we have seen overall is if a biological male has transferred themselves to become female - gone on hormone treatment and have been at low testosterone for two years - actually their performance biologically is more like that of a female but they might be taller which gives them an advantage," Dr Dickinson explained.
"But also if you look at the data set, it's so tiny. We would never make these big decisions on such a tiny data set. There are also advantages of being tall and playing basketball, so we have to go, what are we going to think is an advantage and why do we have categories anyway."
Dr Dickinson worries now swimming has made the move to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's elite racing other sports may follow as a result.
Elite swimming coach Mark Bone told AM earlier that he was "really delighted with FINA" for the decision they made because he believes they have listened to science.
"This is a good decision because they have listened to the science and they have backed it up by science," he said.
"So they've had a group of sports medicine, sports science, physiologist, and also litigation, so you've had the legal perspective. So a great decision I think when you look at the fairness and looking at the fairness of woman."
Bone pointed to US College swimmer Lia Thomas as an example of how it's not fair that a transgender athlete can change and compete as a female.
Thomas - who swims for the University of Pennsylvania - became the first transgender NCAA champion in Division I history after winning the women's 500-yard freestyle earlier this year.
Thomas competed on Pennsylvania's men's team for three years before transitioning and setting multiple programme records with the women's team.
"You have to look at that as a pure female, is that being fair to the female athletes," Bone said.
