Lia Thomas, the infamous transgender swimmer who won so many NCAA women’s swimming titles in 2022, is barred from the 2024 Summer Olympics after losing a legal battle against the international group that governs swimming.
Thomas attempted to bring a legal case against World Aquatics at the court of arbitration for sport in hopes of vacating the group’s recent rules placing heavy restrictions on trans athletes. The rules effectively bar someone like Thomas from competing in international competitions and also bar him from being considered for a slot on the U.S. Women’s Swim Team, according to the Guardian.
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas accepts the winning trophy for the 500 Freestyle finals as second place finisher Emma Weyant and third place finisher Erica Sullivan watch during the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 17th, 2022, at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Thomas argued that the rules should be declared “invalid and unlawful” because, he says, they violate the Olympics charter and the World Aquatics constitution.
The court disagreed with Thomas and ruled that he had no standing. The court said Thomas is “simply not entitled to engage with eligibility to compete in WA competitions” because he is not a current member of World Aquatics.
The rules were implemented after Thomas caused outrage for winning the 2022 NCAA title and created a new language to prevent males who “transitioned” after puberty from competing as transgender females. That requirement rules out Thomas and most trans athletes.
Still, World Aquatics did not get a chance to argue its rules on the scientific data it used to arrive at its ban because Thomas’ case was thrown out because he did not have standing to bring the case in the first place.
World Aquatics, though, stands by the scientific data that shows that males who reached puberty have natural advantages over the female body in swimming, with greater muscle structure, lung capacity, and stamina, among other benefits.
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas is interviewed following her win in the 500 Freestyle finals during the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 17th, 2022, at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Several other sports have also banned men claiming to be women from competing as women. In September 2022, international rugby passed a rule preventing male-born athletes from competing as women. In Dec. 2023, pro disc golf banned men from competing as women. British Cycling also decided to ban men from competing as women, a rule that went into effect in May of last year.
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