The swimmer Lia Thomasthe first transgender champion in NCAA Division I history, has faced a significant setback in her athletic career after losing a legal battle against World Aquatics.
The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) decided not to allow their participation in the next Olympic Games of Paris, which will take place starting July 26, 2024. This decision is one more episode in the continuous challenges that Thomas has had to face after World Aquatics limited the participation of transgender athletes in high-level women’s competitions.
In March 2022, Thomas He gained notoriety by winning the collegiate 500-yard championship under the NCAA, before the international organization, formerly known as FINA and now World Aquatics, passed policies restricting the participation of transgender swimmers. These policies prevent those who have spent part of their puberty as males from competing in elite female categories.
At the beginning of this year, Thomas and his legal team filed an appeal with the CAS, arguing that the restrictions imposed were discriminatory and violated both the Olympic charter and the World Aquatics constitution. However, the court in Switzerland dismissed this appeal, stating that Thomas has no right to participate in elite competitions under US Swimming policies and, by extension, World Aquatics competitions.
World Aquatics has expressed satisfaction with the CAS ruling, stating that this is an important step in protecting the integrity of women’s sport. The organization has tried to address inclusion before, such as in 2022 when it proposed a separate category for transgender and non-binary swimmers at the Berlin World Cup, although the initiative did not prosper due to a lack of participants.
World Aquatics and other sporting entities argue that these measures are essential to maintaining fair competition. The organization reaffirms its commitment to collaborating with all stakeholders to foster inclusion in aquatics and ensure its policies reflect an equitable approach.
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