INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The Soul Cap has gotten the green light from swimming`s top governing body, which figures to be a huge step toward bringing more diversity to a largely white sport.

You`ll have to look beyond the Olympics and world championships to spot its biggest impact.

The oversized, silicone cap, which is designed especially for Black swimmers with voluminous natural hair, already is making the pool deck feel more welcoming at the grassroots level.

The hope is that will lead to more swimmers of color reaching the sport`s highest echelons in the generations to come.

Seren Jones, co-founder of the Britishbased Black Swimming Association, is seeing signs of progress in her role as an instructor.

"I teach water safety to non-swimmers and beginners," she said in a phone interview. "It`s absolutely incredible to see

HEADGEAR GETS THE NOD: But observers say real impact is expected at the grassroots level. so many, really the majority of women across London, using the Soul Cap. I`m talking about women from the 20s to their 70s. It’s phenomenal. They feel empowered to learn and be safe in the water without worrying about their hair, which previously was a major issue."

The Soul Cap initially was banned from competition by FINA, now known as World Aquatics, leading to harsh criticism during the Tokyo Olympics from supporters of more inclusive policies.

Most notably, open water competitor Alice Dearing – the first Black female swimmer to make the British team – thought FINA was out of touch for barring the Soul Cap on the grounds that it didn`t follow “the natural form of the head."

Dearing had wanted to try the larger cap to cover her Afro.

Ashley Oakey, head of brand for Soul Cap, said the company`s product has filled a huge void in the sport by "appealing to individuals with thick, curly, or voluminous hair."

"Traditional swimming caps often do not accommodate these hair types, hindering participation," she said via email. "By providing a product specifically designed for such hair types, Soul Cap reduces this barrier, allowing more people to engage with the sport comfortably and competitively. This can help gradually diversify the swimmers’ demographic at all levels, from beginners to professionals."

The world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, were the first major international meet since that ruling, but smaller caps that fit more snugly to the head remain the norm at the highest echelons of the sport. Top swimmers are focused on doing whatever they can to reduce drag, which leads to faster times.

"We have high hopes for the future," Oakley said. "We anticipate that with growing recognition and acceptance, our caps will soon be a common sight at these prestigious events, thus promoting greater inclusivity in the sport of swimming."

For now, Jones concedes, world-class athletes are not the Soul Cap`s target group.

"We all know that in swimming you want to be as streamlined as you can get,“ Jones said. "That can make all the difference in a race that`s decided by thousandths of a second."