Transgender athlete Lia Thomas lost her legal battle to overturn a ban that prevents trans women from competing at the highest levels of swimming.
She had hoped to be able to join the Summer Olympics in Paris. Three judges of the Court of Arbitration rejected her appeal.
The court ruled that Thomas didn’t have the necessary standing to challenge the regulations and policies related to the event.
In 2022, she told ABC News’ Good Morning America that one of her lifelong dreams was to be part of the Olympics.
Due to the court’s ruling, Thomas will not be able to participate in the upcoming Olympic qualifying trials.
In 2022, World Aquatics implemented a rule that prevented transgender individuals from competing in women’s races.
It also established an open category for those who are transgender. Thomas had asked a sports court in Switzerland to invalidate the regulations, which she claimed were discriminatory and unlawful.
Shortly after Thomas became the first transgender woman to win an NCAA championship in a swimming competition, the organization implemented the regulations.
In a statement, Thomas said that she was disappointed by the court’s decision.
She noted that the bans prevent trans women from participating in sports that they consider to be vital to their identities. The court’s ruling should be used as a call to action to other transgender athletes.
World Aquatics noted that it was pleased with the court’s decision, which it believed was a significant step in its efforts to protect the rights of transgender athletes.
Thomas’ victory at the NCAA tournament caught the attention of global media.
It also put her at the center of a debate regarding the rights of trans women to compete in sports.
Thomas became a target of right-wing media after her victory at the NCAA tournament. Riley Gaines, a former student-athlete at the University of Kentucky, criticized Thomas in the past.
She was also one of the individuals who sued the NCAA for allowing her to participate in the 2022 championships.
According to Hudson Taylor, the founder of Athlete Ally, the court’s decision prevented Thomas from receiving an effective remedy for the acts that she claimed were unlawful.
He stated that it is a sad day for trans athletes as they don’t have the opportunity to have their discrimination heard and adjudicated in a manner that is fair and just.