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’

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.