Lia Thomas Cannot Compete Against Women

[Deskdiary]

Common sense and fairness to women swimmers has prevailed.

 

Are sporting bodies finally realising that it is unfair for men to compete against women?

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-13522953/transgender-swimmer-lia-thomas-olympics-legal-battle.html

[barry1010]

Quite right too

[jourdain2]

Oh , I do hope so!  We have fought so hard and for so long to be recognised. I was an athletics coach - women's events were ignored by the local papers.  When my daughter won the AAA National Pentathlon Championship - they refused to give space because they were already full .... lots of local mens footie results.  It's better now.

I just hope this common sense holds against the whining backlash.

[Deskdiary]

A few years ago there was a poster on this site (I won't name names but that poster is still posting) who said "good for her" when this man, still with all the equipment of a man, beat Riley Gaines.

 

That's the madness we're dealing with.

[Hopkirk]

I identify as a racehorse but those bigots at Aintree won't let me run in the Grand National.

[Cloverjo]

Good! 
But apparently some trans women (men!) are still allowed to compete in other women's races. I have a link somewhere regarding the Paris Olympics. I will look for it tomorrow. 

[johnk]

As it was it could be useful. I don't pay a TV licence because my TV identifies as a microwave.

[newmodarmy]

From the article I saw it's not clear to me whether it was for this reasons people think or a procedural issue.

From the BBC website "In a 24-page verdict, Cas said Thomas was "simply not entitled to engage with eligibility to compete in WA competitions" as someone who was no longer a member of US Swimming, "let alone compete in a WA competition", and therefore was "not sufficiently affected" by the rules to be able to challenge them."

[naomi24]

I can't decide whether this is because this person is a man or as newmodarmy says he doesn't meet the procedural requirements.  I hope it's because he's a man but I've got my doubts.

[Cloverjo]

It looks like we could still have the ridiculous scenario of men competing against women. I'm reminded of the weightlifting event in the 2020 Olympics. A trans woman (man) failed to the beat the actual women. I think they were all rather pleased, and so they should be. 
 

The last two paragraphs in this was what I was referring to earlier. 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/746bb73a-6bf9-4e11-8386-b14b2a42e36e?shareToken=e323b64c050a4facc9d77adfc1adbeab

[barry1010]

World Aquatics introduced new rules in 2022, which prohibit anyone who has undergone “any part of male puberty” from the female category. Before then, transgender women were able to compete if they lowered their testosterone levels.

So Lia cannot compete in the Olympics because Lia was born a man and went through male puberty.

[ToraToraTora]

A six foot strapping geezer is not allowed to enter the girls race! Noo, the world's gone mad! Who'd have thunk it!

[ToraToraTora]

He could try swimming against the men but I guess he'd not even qualify for the olympics.

[naomi24]

If the reason barry gives is correct, I wonder why the formal procedural requirements are mentioned at all?

[Deskdiary]

TTT at 9.52 - given he was ranked about 500 in the NCAA for men (but number 1 for women), that's a pretty safe bet.

[jackthehat]

This is excellent news.

It now needs to be applied to all sports across the board.

And elsewhere in society where the wishes of men are slowly eating away at the rights of women.

[ToraToraTora]

Funny how you never get women pretending to be men entering male sports.

[jourdain2]

Actually, Tora, they do. I cite my late god-daughter who became my God-son.  The difference is that they do it through love of competition and sport.  He competed in cycling races.

When there was a category for a 'neutral' race- he won one.

That's probably the way to go. A 'Non-gender specific' category.

[mushroom25]

// doesn't meet the procedural requirements //

too late for the Olympics but nothing stopping Ms Thomas rejoining USA Swimming and then having a legitimate pop at the rules.

[barry1010]

Lia can try to rejoin USA Swimming but their policy would prevent Lia entering any elite competitions:

"To determine a transgender swimmer’s eligibility at the elite level, a three-person panel of independent medical experts will determine whether the swimmer’s prior physical development as a man gives the athlete a competitive advantage over her cisgender female competitors.

The swimmer also must show that the concentration of testosterone in her blood has been less than 5 nanomoles per litre continuously for a period of at least 36 months, USA Swimming said on Tuesday."

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/usa-swimming-transgender-athletes-elite-issues-b2006127.html

As Lia went through male puberty Lia cannot prove Lia doesn't have a competitive advantage.