Lia Thomas: Transgender swimmer fails in challenge to rules that bar her from elite women’s races

The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s panel of three judges dismissed Lia Thomas’ request for arbitration with the World Aquatics governing body, in a ruling released on Wednesday; Thomas wished to overturn rules approved in 2022 that she felt were ‘invalid, unlawful and discriminatory’

FILE - Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas speaks to her coach after winning the 500 meter freestyle during a meet with Harvard on Jan. 22, 2022, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Hardly a day passed in 2022 when a headline running across the ticker on ESPN would have been fitting on CNN or Fox Business. The intersection between sports and real life ranged from toxic workplace environments, alleged sexual misconduct, sportswashing, cryptocurrency, transgender sports and the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, File)

Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas has failed in her challenge against rules that stop her from competing in elite women’s races.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s panel of three judges dismissed Thomas’ request for arbitration with the World Aquatics governing body, in a ruling released on Wednesday.

World Aquatics banned transgender women who have been through male puberty from competing in women’s races. It also created an ‘open’ category for which transgender athletes would be eligible.

Thomas had asked the sports court in Switzerland to overturn the rules approved in 2022 that she felt were ‘invalid, unlawful and discriminatory’.

Thomas swam for the University of Pennsylvania and won an NCAA title in meets that are outside the World Aquatics competitive system.

 

The world swim body argued to CAS that Thomas was not a member of its member federation USA Swimming when the legal case was started. She also had not competed in female events “for the purpose of qualification or selection” for World Aquatics competitions, such as the Olympics or world championships.

“The panel concludes that she lacks standing to challenge the policy and the operational requirements in the framework of the present proceeding,” the court said in its ruling.