On Wednesday, transgender swimmer Lia (formerly Will) Thomas lost his challenge to an international swimming rule that prevents biological males from competing in female events.
The ruling prevents Thomas from competing in the women’s races at the Summer Olympics in August. The Court of Arbitration for Sport based in Switzerland said Thomas did not have standing to bring the suit against World Aquatics, an international swimming federation, because Thomas is not eligible to compete in “elite events” hosted by USA Swimming or World Aquatics.
The federation called the ruling a “major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sport.”
“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,” World Aquatics said in a statement.
Thomas won a national title in the NCAA women’s division in 2022 while swimming for the University of Pennsylvania. The suit, brought last year, asked the court to strike down the rule because it is discriminatory. The swimmer’s lack of membership was another reason the court rejected the challenge.
“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.
The federation, which does not set rules for NCAA competitions, created an “open” category in 2022 to accommodate transgender swimmers.
International organizations governing other Olympic sports, track and field and cycling, have also prevented biological males from competing in women’s sports.
“Given the current state of scientific knowledge, it is also impossible to rule out the possibility that biomechanical factors such as the shape and arrangement of the bones in their limbs may constitute a lasting advantage for female transgender athletes,” the International Cycling Union wrote last year.
The U.S. swimming trials for the Paris Olympics begin on Saturday in Indianapolis.