Will “Lia” Thomas, a male swimmer who identifies as a female, has been forbidden from participating in the Olympics and other elite sporting events following a legal defeat.
As reported by Fox News, the Court for Arbitration ruled against Thomas on Wednesday, dismissing his request for arbitration with World Aquatics over its decision in 2022 to ban biological men from competing in female sports; the governing body instead created a new “open” category specifically for athletes who believe they are “transgender.” Thomas had requested that the court overturn World Aquatics’ rules, calling them illegal and discriminatory.
“The panel concludes that [he] lacks standing to challenge the policy and the operational requirements in the framework of the present proceeding,” the three-judge panel declared in its ruling, adding that USA Swimming did not have the authority “to modify such scope of application” regarding its rules.
“World Aquatics is dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes fairness, respect, and equal opportunities for athletes of all genders and we reaffirm this pledge,” said World Aquatics in a statement. “Our policies and practices are continuously evaluated to ensure they align with these core values, which led to the introduction of our open category.”
“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,” the organization continued.
World Aquatics’ policy bans biological males from competing in women’s sports unless they either completed their “transition” by the age of 12 or before they went through “any part of male puberty.”
The ruling bans Thomas from participating in female events hosted by World Aquatics, which includes swimming events at the Olympics. The new policy was implemented following the release of the International Olympic Committee’s guidelines in November of 2021, which recommended that international sports federations create their own rules and criteria regarding “transgender” participation in gendered sporting events.