Lia Thomas, won many championships, beating Olympians and breaking records. The swimmer from the United States rose to global prominence after becoming the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship in March 2022. However, her hopes to compete at the upcoming Paris Olympics were crushed as she lost a legal battle against World Aquatics at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Her loss raises many questions about transgender women and their future in sports. But there is a lot to know about her legal dispute with World Aquatics. So, who is Lia Thomas? Here, we bring you all you need to know about the transgender swimmer who lost the legal case and, with it, any hopes of making the Paris Olympics 2024.

Thomas, in her plea, sought to challenge the 2022 World Aquatics vote that prohibited transgender women from participating in women’s elite races.

Who is Lia Thomas?

Lia Thomas began swimming on the men’s team at the University of Pennsylvania in 2017. Thomas began transitioning using hormone replacement therapy in 2019 and came out as a trans woman during her junior year. At the time of her transition, the NCAA required transgender athletes to have one year of hormone replacement therapy to be cleared to compete in the championship. In February 2022, 16 University of Pennsylvania swim team members reportedly sent a letter to the university and the Ivy League, asking them not to challenge the NCAA’s new transgender athlete participation policies. The policies would prevent transgender athletes, such as Thomas, from competing. What Does It Mean To Be a Responsible LGBTQ+ Ally?

They argued that Thomas had an ‘unfair advantage,’ further noting that they supported her transition, but outside the swimming pool. Despite the backlash, Penn Athletics and the Ivy League maintained their support for the transgender swimmer. Thus, she became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title. Many advocates, over the years, have argued that transgender women have a physical advantage over cisgender women in sports.

Lia Thomas Legal Battle

In January 2024, Lia Thomas opened a legal challenge to the World Aquatics’ gender inclusion policy. The policy, introduced in 2022, allows transgender women to compete in the women category as long as any male puberty was haltered by age 12, meaning if they have completed their transition by the said age. Thomas argued those rules are “invalid and unlawful.”

The matter was adjudicated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a Swiss-based international body responsible for settling disputes within the world of high-level athletics. They concluded that Thomas wasn’t “entitled to engage with eligibility to compete in WA competitions.” World Aquatics touted the ruling as “a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sport.”

The question of transgender women in sports has divided even progressive people who otherwise support transgender rights but argue for the supposed advantage they bring to the competition.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2024 03:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).