“In the pursuit of athletic excellence, every stroke, every kick, embodies a dream of triumph.” With these words echoing in her mind, transgender swimmer Lia Thomas embarked on a journey fueled by hope. Seeking ways to subvert the status quo, the athlete has fought hook and sinker to be enshrined in the annals of professional swimming. However, certain chinks in the armor showed up. After a setback with the CAS (the Court of Arbitration for Sport), Lia Thomas faces a crucial moment in the upcoming athletic journey. The ruling bans transgender athletes who have been through male puberty from women’s races, hindering Thomas’s Olympic aspirations. As the Paris Olympics draws near and the trials loom large, Lia Thomas confronts the stark reality that the recent ruling may effectively drive a spanner in the works.

However, amidst the disappointment, a glimmer of hope emerges. The ruling has introduced an open event category, offering a potential avenue for trans athletes like Thomas to continue competing on a level playing field and potentially seeking redemption. Ahead of the Olympic trials, this decision may cause Lia Thomas to miss out on the chance for an Olympic medal, but the athlete’s raw talent shouldn’t be discounted. How does she fare against competitors in the global diaspora?

How does Lia Thomas stack up against other athletes in the competition?

According to Lia Thomas’ stats on Swimcloud, she is cementing herself as one of the prime swimmers to look out for. Thomas has had a sparkling record since her NCAA days when she secured a time of 4:33:24 in Division 1, which was the fastest that year. During the Zippy Invitational, she recorded her personal best time. She even won the Ivy League Championship with a fast closing split of 25.04s, which was the best closing 50 ever. The athlete has also beaten many elite swimmers like Emma Wayant and Erica Sulivan, both of whom are Tokyo silver medalists. Thomas was placed at 554th in the 200 freestyle and 65th in 500m freestyle. However, later the ace swimmer rose through the ranks and has moved the rankings up to 5th in the 200m and 1st in the 400m. These are very impressive feats and we doff our hats to this. 

When compared to other female swimmers in the 200m freestyle, a mixed bag of results can be seen. Lia Thomas’ personal best of 1:41.93 set in 2022 is quite a bit faster than Katie Ledecky’s pb. Ledecky clocked in at 1:53.73 in 2016 and used to be record holder for the event. When compared to Allison Schmidt, who is a 10X Olympic medallist, Thomas still turns out to be a little bit faster. Schmidt’s PB was 1:54.40 in 2012. When compared to Paige Madden, another exemplary swimmer and NCAA Champion in the category, Thomas is pretty much on an even keel with Madden’s personal best being 1:53.01. 

She’s even faster than Claire Tuggle, who has a time of 1:44.96. Even Kate Douglass has a personal best of 1:51:97, which is slower than Thomas by a mile. If she had won the case, Lia would be set to make her appearance at the US Olympic trials in Indianapolis that will be held soon. According to rules, 2 swimmers finishing at the top of their races will qualify to the national team. Additionally, the relay teams are also decided based on their times. This year, over 1,000 athletes will participate over 9 days. Out of them, only 52 swimmers; 26 women and 26 men will confirm their tickets to Paris. This year Thomas was in a favorable place to qualify at the swimming trials but fate dealt her a different hand altogether. 

Lia Thomas’ ban hints at deep-rooted prejudice

In 2022, she became the first transgender athlete in the NCAA to win a college swimming title, which is the USA’s highest collegiate title. However, soon after, the WA announced that any transgender athlete who has undergone “any part of male puberty” will be banned from competing in the women’s category. The binding governing covenant and the ruling body on the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed her plea for arbitration. Thomas was known to have swum for the Pennsylvania men’s team from 2019 to 20 while undergoing hormone therapy.

Though Thomas went for a legal battle against the CAS to overrule the clause, it was all for nought. Her appeal was trashed as she was no longer a member of US swimming and hence wasn’t eligible to compete in WA competitions, such as the Olympics. The three-member panel concluded, “that she lacks standing to challenge the policy and the operational requirements in the framework of the present proceeding.” WA further added that they took this step in a bid to protect women’s sports. They further added that national federations do not have the authority to modify the application of a world governing body’s rules. This ban really comes at a great personal cost, one which Thomas feels is downright dismal.

Even GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis stood in solidarity with the athlete saying, “World Aquatics continues to spread disinformation about transgender people as a distorted way to protect women.” She added, “Transgender women are women and all athletes who want to play and follow the rules should have a chance to do so.” Now Thomas is in a state of limbo. Though the panel has deemed the athlete showing up to Paris as null and void, 2028 LA might grant the swimmer untold riches.