Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, has faced significant challenges in her pursuit to compete in women’s swimming events at the international level. In June 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed her case against World Aquatics’ policy that restricts transgender athletes from participating in elite women’s competitions. This ruling effectively barred her from competing in events such as the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Further impacting the landscape for transgender athletes, in February 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. This order led organizations like the NCAA to enforce policies allowing only individuals assigned female at birth to participate in women’s sports, affecting over 500,000 athletes.
Given these developments, Lia Thomas is currently ineligible to compete in women’s swimming events at the Olympic level. While there is no explicit mandate requiring her to “swim with men,” the existing policies effectively limit her participation to men’s or open categories.
