(Patriot.Buzz) – After sparking controversy for her 2022 NCAA championship victory, conservatives scored a huge win against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas
Thomas recently faced a setback in a legal challenge over regulations that restrict transgender swimmers who have undergone male puberty from competing in elite women’s events.
The Court for Arbitration of Sport ruled against Thomas’ plea for arbitration with World Aquatics, the global governing body for swimming.
This decision upholds the 2022 rule that effectively bars transgender swimmers from female competitions while also introducing an “open” category for transgender athletes.
Thomas had approached the court in Switzerland in an attempt to overturn these regulations, arguing that they were invalid, unlawful and discriminatory.
However, the court concluded “that she lacks standing to challenge the policy and the operational requirements in the framework of the present proceeding.”
The ruling further noted that USA Swimming did not have the jurisdiction to alter the application of its own rules.
In a response through USA Today, World Aquatics said it “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,” it added.
It concluded, saying, “We remain committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to uphold the principles of inclusivity in aquatic sports and remain confident that our gender inclusion policy represents a fair approach.”
“Gaines for Girls” podcast host and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines commented on the court’s decision: “This ruling is a small victory for girls and women everywhere. I think we will see more wins like this both in the judicial courts and the courts public opinion as time goes on.”
“Although he would never qualify, Thomas can still try out for the men’s U.S. Olympic team. I hope the NCAA now takes a similar decisive action by stripping Thomas off all awards, titles, and records he stole from deserving female athletes,” she stated.
This ruling also dashes any aspirations Thomas might have had for Olympic qualification under the current regulations.
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