Lia Thomas takes transgender athlete rights battle to Court of Arbitration for Sports

On Friday, The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) announced the acceptance of an application from Lia Thomas, conveying the following message:

Ms. Thomas appeals to CAS seeking a judgement stating that the regulations of World Aquatics are inconsistent with the law, null and void, and devoid of power and effect.

Thomas is questioning certain aspects of the policy concerning the inclusion of transgender people introduced by World Aquatics on June 20, 2022. Her main focus is on the rules stipulating that transgender athletes transitioning from male to female may only compete in women's categories if they have undergone a sex change before turning 12 or before reaching Tanner stage II of puberty.

Moreover, Ms. Thomas argues that these challenged rules are null and void and inconsistent with the law, as they discriminate against her in ways that contradict the Olympic Charter, the constitution of World Aquatics, Swiss law, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women - as stated in the press release issued by CAS.

It's worth noting that World Aquatics isn't the only organization to implement similar regulations regarding transgender athletes. Comparable rules are also present in athletics and cycling, regulating the participation of athletes who have transitioned but possess a physical advantage due to male maturation.