On June 12th, the Court of Arbitration for Sport made a decision regarding Lia Thomas. Thomas, statuesque in appearance, made history in March 2022 as the first transgender athlete to clinch an NCAA college title. Thomas had hoped to compete for a women’s Olympic medal this year. However, her dreams were shattered when the court dismissed her challenge against a rule set by World Aquatics. This rule prevented transgender athletes who had experienced any male puberty stages from competing in top-level women’s races.
Former Olympic silver medalist swimmer Sharron Davies has been vocal about Lia Thomas since the bygone era. According to a report by Dailymail, Sharron Davies had quipped snappily that –” I don’t want trans athletes excluded but Lia Thomas has proven we must have fair competition for females – bodies do sport, not feelings… No rules can reverse the advantage of male puberty”, thus lending more gravitas to the issue, considering the athlete not making the cut to the Paris Olympic team.
Despite Thomas transitioning from male to female during college and arguing that the rule was “invalid and unlawful,” the court ruled against Thomas. It stated that Thomas was no longer entitled to compete in World Aquatics competitions due to Thomas’s status outside of USA Swimming. Consequently, the court deemed Thomas “not sufficiently affected” by the 2022 rules to challenge them. As a result, Thomas is currently unable to compete in elite races governed by World Aquatics or USA Swimming.
However, as news of the ruling spread, Sharron Davies, who has been vocal about transgender participation in women’s sports and had previously criticized what she called “ridiculously and atrociously unfair” competition due to the involvement of transgender athletes. She recently took to social media to share her thoughts on this matter.
In response to the news, Sharron Davies took to X, sharing The Guardian’s article titled “Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas out of Olympics after losing legal battle.” In her tweet, Davies expressed her relief, stating, “Good, no elite female athlete will have to lose out to this mediocre 6’4ft male swimmer.” This comment reflects Davies’ longstanding concerns about the fairness of transgender participation in women’s sports. However, there was also a comment from a fan who remarked, “Unfortunately she was able to ruin the college careers of more than a few athletes by bumping them from medal stands and qualifiers.” But this isn’t the first time Davies has directly pointed out Lia Thomas, and it seems many fans and swimmers share a similar sentiment.
Touching on something, albeit a little more controversial, former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines mis gendered the transgender swimmer. Gaines voiced her opinion about Thomas during the famed 2022 NCAA Championships. She added on her X that-“Thomas is a man, therefore his correct pronouns are he/him.” Gaines was also enthused that the CAS rejected Lia Thomas’ plea request to compete with women in the same category. She further voiced her opinion on X stating that-“Great news! Lia Thomas won’t be able to compete in women’s category at the Olympics or any other elite competition. He has just lost his legal battle in Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling. This is a victory for women and girls everywhere.”
Davies has consistently expressed her concerns regarding self-identification in sports, arguing that transgender athletes, due to their elevated levels of testosterone, create an unfair advantage for cisgender women. Reflecting on the frustration caused by the presence of transgender athletes in sports, Davies emphasized that simply removing testosterone does not eliminate the biological advantages conferred by male puberty.
It’s worth noting Thomas underwent hormone-suppression therapy for a minimum of one year before joining the Penn women’s team in 2017, in accordance with NCAA regulations at the time. This transition marked a significant turning point in Thomas’s swimming journey, as Thomas transitioned from being an average performer on the men’s team to emerging as a top national contender in women’s Division I swimming within just three years.
However, Davies lamented the lack of action taken to address these issues over the years, highlighting the ongoing debate surrounding transgender equality and its impact on young female athletes. Davies said she was angry that young female swimmers had to share a changing room with trans swimmer Lia Thomas. She stressed the importance of speaking out against what she perceives as unfair competition, emphasizing the need to protect the integrity of women’s sports and ensure a level playing field for all athletes. But this is not all.
Was Sharron Davies losing finances in her battle against trans athletes?
She also wrote a book, “Unfair Play: The Battle For Women’s Sport,” which revealed the personal toll of her vocal opposition to transgender athletes in swimming. She disclosed the financial strain imposed by ‘cancel culture,’ has caused her to lose a lot financially as she continues to speak out against transgender athletes in swimming. Emphasizing her reliance on factual evidence, Davies asserted to UnHerd, “Let’s deal with the science that we have […] Lia Thomas was six foot four with hands like shovels. Well, that’s going to make a massive difference, because they’re your paddles.”
Beyond competitive sports, Davies stressed the importance of clarity on s*x differences in everyday life. She maintained, “Trans women are not women when it comes to whether we give them a prostate check, or whether they give birth.” Despite advocating for dignity and respect towards trans individuals, Davies lamented the adverse effects on women, who often face exclusion from opportunities.
