Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, will not deprive a female athlete her opportunity at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
The lawsuit against World Aquatics, which ruled that their restriction from competing against women was “invalid and unlawful,” has officially been lost by Thomas, a biological male swimmer who raced for Penn and won a women’s national championship in 2022.
The 25-year-old was disqualified from swimming in the female division in the summer of 2022 after the sport’s governing body prohibited swimmers who had gone through “any part of male puberty” from competing against biological females.
World Aquatics praised the court’s decision to preserve the regulation that forbids Thomas from swimming in the same pool as women, calling it “a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sports.”
The group said, “We reaffirm our commitment to fostering an environment that promotes justice, respect, and equal opportunities for athletes of all genders,” according to The Guardian.
Note that World Aquatics does not forbid transgender athletes from participating. An “open” division has been introduced by the organization for swimmers who identify as transgender. Despite the fact that the new category was due to debut during last year’s World Cup in Berlin, not a single entry was received.
Lia Thomas stands next to Riley Gaines of OutKick, who won an NCAA title by defeating biological females.(Photo credit: Getty Images)/Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)
The fact that Thomas, who was at best a mediocre swimmer when competing against males, is no longer a member of U.S. Swimming simplifies the court’s decision to reject a policy modification that would have benefited the organization.
According to the outlet, “the panel concludes that the athlete simply is not entitled to engage with eligibility to compete in WA competitions, as she is not entitled to participate in a ‘Elite Event’ as defined by USA Swimming Policy, let alone compete in a WA competition, which occurs upon registration with WA prior to a competition or upon setting a performance which brings about a request for registration as WA world record.”
“The policy and operational requirements are simply not triggered by her current status.”
Starting on June 15 in Indianapolis, the U.S. Olympic trials will take place on a football field for the first time ever at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Thomas made it clear that the 2024 Olympics were on their minds when she appeared on “Good Morning America” during Women’s History Month in 2022, when she was honored by ESPN and ABC.
“I’ve wanted to swim in Olympic trials for a long time, and I would love to accomplish that,” Thomas said.
Thankfully, common sense prevailed, and women will now have the opportunity to compete on the women’s swim team and represent the United States in Paris.
