Recently, American swimmer Lia Thomas has been banned from competing in the upcoming Paris Olympics next month.
This decision comes after the 25-year-old lost her legal battle to challenge the existing rules on transgender women's participation in women's swimming events.
The International Water Sports Federation, World Aquatics (formerly FINA), implemented a ban on transgender women who have gone through male puberty from competing in women's swimming competitions in 2022.
This policy change directly impacted Thomas, who had become the first openly transgender athlete to win a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I national championship in the women's 500-yard freestyle event in 2022.
She filed her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). She said the new rules were wrong and unfair. But on June 12th, 2024, the judges decided to keep the rules in place. They did not agree with Thomas.
Thomas, who had previously competed for the University of Pennsylvania men's team before transitioning and starting hormone replacement therapy in 2019, expressed her disappointment with the decision.
Lia Thomas said the decision to ban transgender women from competing was unfair. She felt it took away important opportunities for transgender athletes, which were a big part of their identity.
World Aquatics argued that Thomas did not have standing to challenge the policy, as she was not a member of the USA Swimming Federation at the time of the case.
In the past, Thomas' NCAA victory had garnered significant controversy, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis refusing to acknowledge her win and instead signing a proclamation declaring the runner-up, Emma Weyant, as the rightful winner.
The CAS panel, in its final ruling, stated that "the panel concludes that she lacks standing to challenge the policy."
This decision was welcomed by World Aquatics, who stated that it was "a major step forward in our efforts to protect women's sport."
Hudson Taylor, the founder of a group that supports LGBTQ athletes, said he was disappointed by the ruling.
He felt it was a sad day for sports and for people who believe transgender athletes should have the chance to share their experiences of discrimination and have them addressed, just like everyone else.
The exclusion of Lia Thomas from the 2024 Olympics captured the public's attention.
