The transgender swimmer Lia Thomas will not take the opportunity of a female athlete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Thomas, the biological man who won a National Women’s Championship in 2022 while swimming for Penn, officially lost a legal battle against World Aquatics in which Thomas argued that his prohibition of competing against women was “invalid and illegal.”
The 25 -year -old was forbidden to swim in the women’s category in the summer of 2022 when the sport governing body prohibited anyone who had gone through “any part of male puberty” compete against biological women.
World Aquatics celebrated the Court’s decision to maintain the rule that keeps Thomas out of the women’s pool, and described it as “a great step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sports.”
“World Aquatics is dedicated to promoting an environment that promotes equity, respect and equal opportunities for athletes of all genres, and we reaffirm this promise,” said the organization, according toThe Guardian .
It should be noted that World Aquatics has not prohibited the participation of transgender athletes. The organization has introduced an open category for transgender swimmers. This new category was released during the World Cup last year in Berlin, but did not receive any registration.
Lia Thomas with Riley Gaines de Outkick after winning an NCAA title against biological women. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via getty images)
Thomas, who was an average swimmer at best when he competed against men, is no longer a member of the USA Swimming, which makes the court decision against a change of policy to benefit them is so easy.
“The panel concludes that, since the athlete has no right to participate in the‘ elite event ’in the sense of the US -Swimming US Wa.
“Political and operational requirements are simply activated by their current state.”
The United States Olympic tests will begin on June 15 in Indianapolis and, for the first time, will be held in a football field at Lucas Oil Stadium.
In 2022, when ESPN and ABC honored Thomas during the month of the history of women, Thomas sat down with “Good Morning America” and made it clear that the 2024 Olympic Games were in their mind.
“Swimming in Olympic tests has been my goal for a long time and I would love to see that happens,” Thomas said.
Fortunately, common sense has prevailed and women will have the opportunity to compete in the women’s swimming team and represent the United States in Paris.
