Lia Thomas Loses Legal Battle, Will Not Have Chance To Qualify For Olympics In A Big Win For Women’s Sports
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas will not be taking an opportunity away from a female athlete during the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Thomas, the biological male who won a women’s national championship in 2022 while swimming for Penn, has officially lost a legal battle against World Aquatics in which Thomas argued their ban from competing against females was “invalid and unlawful.”
The 25-year-old was barred from swimming in the female category in the Summer of 2022 when the sport’s governing body prohibited anyone who had undergone “any part of male puberty” from competing against biological females.
World Aquatics welcomed the court’s decision to uphold the rule keeping Thomas out of the pool with females, calling it “a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sports.”
“World Aquatics is dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes fairness, respect, and equal opportunities for athletes of all genders and we reaffirm this pledge,” the organization said, according to The Guardian.
It’s worth noting that World Aquatics has not banned transgender athletes from competition. The organization has introduced an “open” category for transgender swimmers. The new category was set for its debut during last year’s Berlin World Cup, but the category did not receive one single entry.
Lia Thomas standing next to OutKick’s Riley Gaines after winning an NCAA title against biological females. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Thomas, who was an average swimmer at best when competing against males, is no longer a member of U.S. Swimming making the court’s ruling against a change in policy to benefit them that much easier.
“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, which occurs upon registration with WA prior to a competition or upon setting a performance which leads to a request for registration as WA world record, she is simply not entitled to engage with eligibility to compete in WA competitions,” the court said, per the outlet.
“The policy and the operational requirements are simply not triggered by her current status.”
The U.S. Olympic trials are set to begin on June 15 in Indianapolis and, for the first time ever, will be staged on a football field at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Back in 2022, when ESPN and ABC honored Thomas during Women’s History Month, Thomas sat down with ‘Good Morning America’ and made it clear that the 2024 Olympics were on their mind.
“It’s been a goal of mine to swim in Olympic trials for a very long time and I would love to see that through,” Thomas said.
Thankfully, common sense has prevailed, and women will be awarded the opportunity to compete on the women’s swim team and represent the United States in Paris.
