Lia Thomas

Lia Catherine Thomas ( born May 1999) is an American swimmer. She was a student at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship, having won the women's 500-yard freestyle event in 2022. During her swimming career, Thomas has been part of the public debate about transgender women in women's sports. 

 Legal challenge 
In January 2024, Thomas opened a legal challenge to the World Aquatics gender inclusion policy. The policy was introduced in 2022, which allows trans women to compete in the women's category as long as any male puberty was stopped by age 12 or Tanner Stage 2. Thomas' challenge argued that this policy is discriminatory. In June 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Thomas did not have standing to challenge the policy, meaning she wouldn't be allowed to compete.Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas loses legal challenge in CAS ruling, USA Today, June 12, 2024

 References 

Category:1999 births
Category:Living people
Category:American swimmers
Category:Sportspeople from Pennsylvania
Category:LGBT people from Pennsylvania
Category:Transgender women