Controversy surrounded Lia Thomas when she became the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the NCAA Swimming Championships. She has gone on to compete in women's aquatics races since but a legal battle halted her momentum. Many individuals have gone on to wonder about what happened in that case. This article may just give fans the definitive answer.
Lia Thomas ended up winning the NCAA individual title back in 2022. A lot of individuals in women's swimming took issue with this and raised their concern to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In the end, they ruled that she would no longer be able to compete at elite women's events. She could have retained her status if her transition came before the age of 12 or stage 2 of the puberty Tanner Stages.
The official ruling read: “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. Our policies and practices are continuously evaluated to ensure they align with these core values, which led to the introduction of our open category.”
Thomas can still compete in the women's category for some championships. This is provided that these events are not classified as elite competitions. It is worth noting that the ruling also uses the words 'for now'. So, there is still some optimism when it comes to her returning in these big events as she also might still have a shot to swim in the Olympics.
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