Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas initiates lawsuit against World Aquatics

Former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who broke barriers as the first out transgender woman to win a US NCAA swimming championship, has launched a legal challenge against World Aquatics with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Thomas’s legal battle, which began confidentially in September 2023, seeks to overturn World Aquatics’ June 2022 policy, which restricts transgender women from participating in women’s swimming events unless they transitioned before age 12.

Thomas’s legal team asserts that the policy is discriminatory and contravenes the Olympic Charter, the World Aquatics Constitution, and various human rights laws, including the European Convention on Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

In her CAS submission, Thomas recognised the importance of fair competition and agreed that some regulation of transgender women in swimming is warranted, according to a CAS media statement. However, she contends that the challenged policy provisions are “invalid and unlawful,” arguing that they constitute unjustifiable discrimination.

Thomas’s NCAA career not only marked a personal triumph but also ignited what has become a right-wing movement against transgender women in sports. Her historic NCAA win and subsequent ambition to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics have placed her at the forefront of a contentious global debate over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports.

World Aquatics has not yet publicly responded to Thomas’s legal challenge.

Image: Lia Thomas.