The Court of Arbitration for Sport has rejected a challenge from transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who sought to overturn a policy barring her from competing in women’s elite competitions.
In a statement released Wednesday, a panel of arbitrators from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) concluded that Thomas lacked standing to contest the policy established by World Aquatics, the international federation that administers international competitions in water sports, reported USA Today.
In June 2022, the organization decided to prohibit transgender women who had transitioned after experiencing male puberty from competing in women’s elite races. World Aquatics allowed such athletes to instead compete in an “open category” in its 50-meter and 100-meter races. Thomas argued that the policy is discriminatory.
“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.
“For the time being,” Thomas is ineligible to participate in elite competitions sanctioned by World Aquatics or USA Swimming.
According to the decision, Thomas remains eligible to compete in USA Swimming events that do not meet the criteria for “Elite Events.” However, the decision effectively bars Thomas from participating in the upcoming Olympics in Paris next month.
Thomas made headlines as the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship while swimming for Penn.
World Aquatics celebrated the decision, calling it “a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sport,” per USA Today. “We remain committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to uphold the principles of inclusivity in aquatic sports and remain confident that our gender inclusion policy represents a fair approach.”
In a statement, Thomas described the decision as a “call to action for trans women athletes,” reported Newsweek.
“The CAS decision is deeply disappointing,” the statement reads. “Blanket bans preventing trans women from competing are discriminatory and deprive us of valuable athletic opportunities that are central to our identities. The CAS decision should be seen as a call to action to all trans women athletes to continue to fight for our dignity and human rights.”
