Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who had made it talk about herself in 2022 by winning a women’s national championship while competing for the University of Pennsylvania, will not take advantage of the opportunity to compete in the female races at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 25 year old, born organically male, has in fact lost a legal battle against World Aquatics, the world government of water sports, who confirmed the prohibition. For her to participate in female competitions.

The case attracted a lot of media attention because Thomas had contested the ban, claiming that the announcement was “disabled and illegal”. However, World Aquatics has maintained its position, applying a rule introduced in the summer of 2022 which prohibits anyone who has crossed any phase of male puberty to compete in the female categories.

This decision was welcomed by the organization, which called it “an important step in our commitment to protect women’s sport”. World Aquatics has also reiterated its commitment to promote an environment of fairness, respect and equal opportunities for athletes of all genres, as reported by The Guardian.

It should be noted that World Aquatics has not excluded the participation of the absolute transgender athletes: an “open” category dedicated to transgender swimmers, launched for the first time in the World Cup last year in Berlin, was created. However, this category has not received any registration, in fact remaining unused.

Lia Thomas, who when he competed against men was considered an average athlete, is no longer a member of the US Swimming, the national organization that governs swimming in the United States. This made the Court’s decision against an even more clear and definitive change of policy. The Court stressed that, since Thomas is not suitable to participate in an “elite event” according to the rules of the US Swimming, he has no right to compete in any competition regulated by World Aquatics.

According to the Court, the regulations and the operational requirements for heligability to compete in World Aquatics competitions are not applicable in the current state of Thomas. In other words, its current situation does not meet the conditions necessary to be considered suitable to compete in the female category.

In 2022, during the month of women’s history, Thomas had had an important moment of visibility when Espn and ABC had celebrated it. In an interview with “Good Morning America”, he had expressed the desire to participate in the 2024 Olympic tests. “It was my goal for a long time swimming in the Olympic qualifications, and I would really like this that this happened,” he said.

However, with the approach of the Paris Olympics, it is clear that the current rules and the recent legal decision will prevent Thomas from participating in women’s races. The US Olympic tests will be held from June 15th in Indianapolis, for the first time in a football stage, the Lucas Oil Stadium.

The sentence represents a turning point for women’s sport, ending the controversy on how to balance the inclusion of transgender athletes with the protection of the fair competition between biological women. World Aquatics clarified that he wants to maintain his rule to protect the female category, claiming that the decision is a step forward to ensure equality for women for women.

Despite the creation of the “open” category for transgender athletes, the absence of registration demonstrates the difficulties of fully integrating these new categories into competitive circuits. This leaves the discussion on the future of athletes such as Lia Thomas, which remain excluded from women’s races without having a well -defined alternative competitive category at the moment.

In summary, the story of Lia Thomas highlights the complex balance between inclusiveness and sports justice. While the world of sport seeks ways to welcome all athletes, the need to safeguard the integrity of female competitions continues to guide rigorous choices and regulations.

The decision of the Court and the maintenance of the prohibition by World Aquatics send a clear message: for the moment, biological women will have guaranteed their opportunity to compete in an environment considered fair and protected. Thomas, despite his Olympic dreams, will have to give up competing in the female Olympic tests this year.

The whole story represents a turning point in contemporary sport, raising ethical, legal and social issues that will continue to be debated in the years to come. Attention remains high while the world is preparing for the Paris Olympics, where the current rules will be put into practice and observed by millions of spectators all over the world.