(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) The Olympic Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected transgender swimmer Lia Thomas’s appeal to compete in women’s swimming in the Paris 2024 Olympics, according to USA Today.
Great news! Lia Thomas won't be able to compete in women's category at the Olympics or any other elite competition.
He has just lost his legal battle in Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling.
This is a victory for women and girls everywherehttps://t.co/fEZc47K0FA
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 12, 2024
The panel of arbitrators ruled that Thomas maintained no standing to bend the rules of current policy, created by swimming’s international federation World Aquatics.
“[Thomas] is currently only entitled to compete in USA Swimming events that do not qualify as ‘Elite Events,'” according to World Aquatics and USA swimming policy.
The panel referred to Thomas as a woman and clarified that Thomas could not compete in elite women’s swimming competitions “for the time being.”
Thomas argued that the standing policy of World Aquatics was discriminatory against biological males who want to compete with biological females.
The group announced the possibility of an “open category” race, which would allow transgender athletes to compete on similar footing, and keep men’s and women’s competitions fair.
“World Aquatics is dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes fairness, respect, and equal opportunities for athletes of all genders and we reaffirm this pledge,” the group said. “Our policies and practices are continuously evaluated to ensure they align with these core values, which led to the introduction of our open category.”
Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win a NCAA Division I championship while attending the University of Pennsylvania.
The NCAA unironically nominated Thomas for ‘Woman of the Year’ in 2022.
“As 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the NCAA Woman of the Year program is an important opportunity to honor and reflect on the impact of women on intercollegiate sports,” the NCAA said.
NBC also heavily airbrushed photos of Thomas in a desperate attempt to make the swimmer look more feminine.
Preliminary meets for the USA women’s swim team start in Indianapolis on Friday; the 2024 Paris Olympics start in July.
