Lia Thomas, 25, a trans swimmer who rose to global prominence by becoming the first transgender athlete to win a NCAA college title, is taking legal action against World Aquatics.
Thomas, who has not raced since 2022 following a rule change by the governing body, is taking legal action in a bid to compete again in elite female sport, including the Olympics and World Championships.
In 2022, World Aquatics introduced new rules which prohibit anyone who has undergone “any part of male puberty” from the female category. Before then, transgender women were able to compete if they lowered their testosterone levels.
In a scientific policy document that informed its decision, World Aquatics said that swimmers such as Thomas retained significant physical advantages – in endurance, power, speed, strength and lung size – from undergoing male puberty, even after reducing their testosterone levels through medication.
The move is the latest twist in the debate between those who argue that fairness and safety in women’s sport is paramount and others who maintain that the inclusion of transgender athletes should be prioritised.
Thomas has always denied transitioning to get ahead. “The biggest misconception, I think, is the reason I transitioned,” Thomas said in 2022. “People will say: ‘Oh, she just transitioned so she would have an advantage, so she could win.’ I transitioned to be happy, to be true to myself.”
In a statement on Thursday, January 25, World Aquatics’ executive director, Brent Nowicki, defended World Aquatics’ gender inclusion policy, saying it “was rigorously developed on the basis of advice from leading medical and legal experts, and in careful consultation with athletes”
“World Aquatics remains confident that its gender inclusion policy represents a fair approach, and remains absolutely determined to protect women’s sport,” he added.
Thomas has yet to publicly comment on the case.
