At the 2024 Olympics in Paris, transgender swimmer Lia Thomas will not deny a female athlete her chance.
The biological male swimmer Thomas, who competed for Penn and won a women’s national championship in 2022, has officially lost a lawsuit against World Aquatics, claiming that their ban from competing against women was “invalid and unlawful.”
When the sport’s governing body forbade anyone who had experienced “any part of male puberty” from competing against biological females in the summer of 2022, the 25-year-old was disqualified from swimming in the female division.
Described as “a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sports,” World Aquatics applauded the court’s ruling upholding the rule prohibiting Thomas from swimming in the same pool as women.
“We reaffirm our commitment to creating an environment that fosters equality, respect, and fairness for athletes of all genders,” World Aquatics stated, as reported by The Guardian.
Note that transgender athletes are not prohibited from competing by World Aquatics. For swimmers who identify as transgender, the organization has added a “open” division. Although the new category was supposed to make its debut during the World Cup in Berlin last year, not a single entry was received.
After defeating biological females to win an NCAA title, Lia Thomas stands beside Riley Gaines of OutKick. (Image courtesy of Getty Images/Icon Sportswire/Rich von Biberstein) )
The court’s decision to reject a policy change that would have benefited U.S. Swimming is made simpler by the fact that Thomas, who was at best an average swimmer while competing against men, is no longer a member of the organization.
The panel comes to the conclusion that the athlete is simply not allowed to participate in a “Elite Event” as defined by USA Swimming Policy, much less compete in a WA competition, which takes place when an athlete registers with WA before a competition or sets a performance that prompts a request to register as a WA world record.
Her existing situation just does not trigger the policy or the operational needs.
The U.S. Olympic trials will be held on a football field at Lucas Oil Stadium for the first time ever, starting on June 15 in Indianapolis.
When Thomas was honored by ESPN and ABC during Women’s History Month in 2022, she appeared on “Good Morning America” and made it apparent that the 2024 Olympics were on their minds.
“Swimming in Olympic trials has long been a goal of mine, and I would love to see that through,” Thomas stated.
Fortunately, common reason has won out, and women will be given the chance to participate in the women’s swim competition.