Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas will not be able to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after losing a legal battle against World Aquatics rules, the International Water Sports Federation. The decision was celebrated by many as an important victory in the struggle for equity in women’s sport.
Thomas had appealed in court against regulation that prevents transgender athletes who underwent male puberty from competing in female elite categories. However, the sports arbitral tribunal rejected its appeal, keeping the Federation’s guidelines in force.
The decision rekindled the global debate on inclusion versus justice in sport. For many female sports advocates, Thomas’s exclusion represents a necessary measure to preserve the physical and competitive integrity of women’s competitions. Already LGBTQ+ Pro-right groups expressed frustration, stating that the current policy marginalizes trans athletes.
Even in the face of controversy, the sentence was seen by several athletes and experts as a milestone. “It is an essential step in ensuring that women have equal conditions in sport,” said an Olympic former Nadadora.
With the decision, Thomas is officially out of the US Olympic team to Paris, temporarily ending their Olympic Aspirations – and reinforcing a legal precedent with a lasting potential impact on the world sports scene.
