Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas To Not Compete in Olympics After Loss In Fight Against Legal Ban

Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas’s hope for next month’s Paris Olympics has been dashed after losing her legal case against World Aquatics.

By Natasha Bose

Published on Jun 13, 2024 | 05:41 PM IST | 55.6K

Image via Instagram and Wikimedia Commons

Lia Thomas, Transgender Swimmer, Can't Compete in Elite Women's Races After Losing Legal Battle

In this Article

Lia Thomas pleads for arbitration
World Aquatics is content with the decision

Swiss-based, Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), has rejected transgender swimmer Lia Thomas' appeal to throw out a rule stopping her from joining women's races in elite competitions.

USA TODAY Sports reported on Wednesday that the CAS judges decided Thomas is not eligible to challenge the rule made by the global swimming federation, World Aquatics. For now, she can't compete in Elite events with World Aquatics or USA Swimming, so the rule doesn't affect her.

"She is currently only entitled to compete in USA Swimming events that do not qualify as 'Elite Events,'" the ruling stated.

Lia Thomas pleads for arbitration

Thomas also sued the world's water sports governing body, World Aquatics. Her main aim was to get rid of their 2022 rule that stops athletes who went through "any part of male puberty" from competing in the women's category, according to The Guardian.

The CAS, a Swiss-based group that settles high-level sports disputes, wrote in its 24-page decision that Thomas "is simply not entitled to engage with eligibility to compete in WA competitions."

World Aquatics is content with the decision

After Thomas won NCAA gold in 2022 by beating Olympic silver medalist Emma Weyant in the women's 500-yard freestyle, World Aquatics put forth new rules. They argued that swimmers like Thomas still had the upper hand when it came to physical benefits—like better endurance, power, speed, strength, and lung size—from male puberty, even after lowering their testosterone through medication.

Though ready to defend the science behind its decision, the CAS hearing only looked at whether Thomas, no longer with USA Swimming, had the right to challenge its rules.

On Wednesday, it said that Thomas had no right to sue over World Homosexual's transgender policy. A key part of the ruling stated: “The panel concludes that since the Athlete is not entitled to participate in ‘Elite Event’ within the meaning of USA Swimming Policy, let alone to compete in a WA competition, she is simply not entitled to engage with eligibility to compete in WA competitions."

The ruling further stated, "The policy and the operational requirements are simply not triggered by her current status.”

Meanwhile, World Aquatics claims it is trying to be inclusive and has created an “open” category for transgender swimmers.

However, its debut at the Berlin World Cup last October was canceled when no one signed up for the 50m and 100m races across all strokes, planned alongside male and female races.