Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, lost a court battle on Wednesday that attempted to overturn an actual prohibition on trans women competing at the highest levels of women’s swimming, ending any chance she had of qualifying for the Summer Olympics in Paris next month.
Thomas’s plea for arbitration with the World Aquatics regulatory organization was denied by three judges of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In its decision on Wednesday, the court stated, “The panel concludes that she lacks standing to challenge the policy and the operational requirements in the framework of the present proceeding.”
She will not be able to take part in this month’s Olympic qualifying trials as a result of Wednesday’s decision.
World Aquatics prohibited transgender women who experienced male puberty from participating in women’s races under regulations set in 2022. Additionally, it established a “open” category that would accept athletes who identify as transgender.
Last year, Thomas had requested that the Swiss sports court invalidate the restrictions on the grounds that they were unconstitutional, illegal, and discriminatory.
A few months after Thomas, who was a University of Pennsylvania student at the time, became the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship in 2022, the rules were set.
Through her lawyer, Thomas released a statement in which she stated, “The CAS decision is deeply disappointing. Blanket bans preventing trans women from competing are discriminatory and deprive us of valuable athletic opportunities that are central to our identities.”
“The CAS decision should be seen as a call to action to all trans women athletes to continue to fight for our dignity and human rights,” Thomas continued.
In a case that “we believe is a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sport,” World Aquatics said it was pleased with the CAS ruling.
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Thomas became the focus of a global discussion on whether trans women should be permitted to participate in women’s sports after her NCAA victory attracted notice from the international media. Because of her success, right-wing media also frequently targeted her.
Riley Gaines, a former swimmer for the University of Kentucky who has recently been a loud adversary of Thomas in conservative media, praised Thomas’ legal defeat on X.
Gaines, who is also suing the NCAA for permitting Thomas to compete in the 2022 championships, stated, misgendering Thomas, “This is a victory for women and girls everywhere.”
The decision was denounced by Athlete Ally, a nonprofit organization that promotes LGBTQ athletes’ participation in sports.
The founder and executive director of Athlete Ally, Hudson Taylor, released a statement saying, “By dismissing Lia Thomas’ legal challenge against World Aquatics, the CAS has denied her fundamental right to access an effective remedy for acts that violate her human rights. This is a sad day for sports and for anyone who believes that trans athletes should have the opportunity for their experiences of discrimination to be heard and adjudicated like everyone else.”
Reference: nbcnews
