(Photo : JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)
Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, finishes the 200 yard Freestyle for the University of Pennsylvania at an Ivy League swim meet against Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on January 22, 2022.
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas has lost a bid to overturn a policy that will keep her from competing in women's races at elite competitions like the Olympics.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed her challenge, USA Today reported.
"She is currently only entitled to compete in USA Swimming events that do not qualify as 'Elite Events,'" the CAS stated.
Conservative activist Riley Gaines, a former competitive swimmer, celebrated the decision.
"Great news!" she said in an X post. "This is a victory for women and girls everywhere."
Great news! Lia Thomas won't be able to compete in women's category at the Olympics or any other elite competition.
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 12, 2024
He has just lost his legal battle in Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling.
This is a victory for women and girls everywherehttps://t.co/fEZc47K0FA
Gaines has spoken out against transgener athletes since she tied Thomas for fifth place in the 200-yard NCAA freestyle championship.
She testified at a House Oversight Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill about the Biden administration's proposed rule changes to Title IX to redefine the definition of sexual discrimination to include gender identity.
(Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Earlier in the year Gaines claimed she was held hostage and assaulted by a mob of transgender activists.
The San Francisco State University Police Department suspended its investigation into the incident in February saying the claims were unfounded.
