After making headlines in 2022 for winning an NCAA individual championship, Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, was not allowed to participate in international events, such as the Olympics, due to a ruling by the world’s sports court.
The court’s ruling came just days before the start of the Olympic swimming trials in the US.
Thomas, who was born a man but identified as a woman, had sued the organization that manages the sport’s international events, World Aquatics, in January.
According to the organization’s policy, transgender individuals would only be allowed to compete in women’s categories if they were at least 12 years old and had transitioned from male to female before they turned 18.
Officials of World Swimming said the court’s decision was a major step in the organization’s efforts to protect the rights of female athletes.
Due to the court’s ruling, World Swimming implemented an open category for transgender individuals.
However, Thomas was not allowed to participate in the organization’s competitions.
She was only allowed to participate in events that did not meet the organization’s standards.
The court also stated that national federations were not allowed to modify the rules of the organization.
In March 2022, Thomas became the first athlete to become a champion in Division I swimming after winning a women’s 500-yard freestyle event.
In March, World Swimming also implemented an updated gender policy.
According to an award by the arbitral tribunal, the organization created an open category that allowed transgender individuals to participate in its competitions.
The 24-page document also stated that the policy was implemented in October.
World Swimming is responsible for organizing various international events, including the World Cup.
The organization that manages the swimming events in the US is USA Swimming.
The court’s decision came just days ahead of the start of the country’s Olympic trials, which are scheduled to take place this weekend.
In 2022, Thomas said that she wanted to be able to participate in the trials for the Olympics.
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