Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas will not take advantage of the opportunity offered by a female athlete during the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Thomas, the biological male who won a women’s national championship in 2022 while swimming for Penn, has officially lost a legal battle against world aquatics, in which Thomas argued that his ban on competing against women was “invalid and unlawful.”
The 25-year-old was barred from swimming in the women’s category in the summer of 2022, when the sport’s governing body banned anyone who had undergone “any part of male puberty” from competing against biological females.
World Aquatics welcomed the Court’s decision to uphold the rule keeping Thomas out of the pool with women, calling it “a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sport.”
“World Aquatics is dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes fairness, respect and equal opportunities for athletes of all genders and we reaffirm that promise,” the organization said, according to The Guardian .
It’s worth noting that World Aquatics has not banned trans athletes from competing. The organization has introduced an “open” category for transgender swimmers. The new category was set to debut during last year’s Berlin World Cup, but the category did not receive a single entry.
Lia Thomas alongside Outkick’s Riley Gaines after winning an NCAA title against the biological women. (Photo by Rich Von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Thomas, who was an average swimmer at best when he competed against the men, is no longer a member of USA Swimming, making the court’s ruling against a policy change to benefit them that much more beneficial.
The Panel concludes that since the athlete is not entitled to participate in an ‘Elite Event’ within the meaning of USA Swimming policy, much less compete in a WA competition, which occurs after registration with WA, prior to a competition or standout, which leads to a claim for appellant, which is not what relates to a performance.
“The policy and operational requirements are simply not triggered by their current status.”
The U.S. Olympic trials are set to begin June 15 in Indianapolis and, for the first time, will be staged on a football field at Lucas Oil Stadium.
In 2022, when ESPN and ABC honored Thomas during Women’s History Month, Thomas sat down with ‘Good Morning America’ and made it clear that the 2024 Olympics were on her mind.
“It’s been a goal of mine to swim in Olympic trials for a long time and I would love to see it through,” Thomas said.
Fortunately, common sense prevailed and women will have the opportunity to compete on the women’s swim team and represent the United States in Paris.
