Lia Thomas Loses Appeal Against World Aquatics Ban

Lia Thomas, a 25-year-old American swimmer, has lost her case against World Aquatics at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This decision effectively prevents Thomas from competing in the women's events at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The CAS ruling comes just 11 days before the deadline for entries to the Games. Thomas made history by becoming the first transgender NCAA champion in Division I US collegiate history in 2022, winning the US national college title that year. However, World Aquatics voted in 2022 to ban transgender women from competing in women's elite races, which led Thomas to attempt to overturn this decision at CAS.