I JUST WANT TO COMPETE

Ban on transgender swimmer who went through male puberty puts a spotlight on the complex issue of fairness and inclusion in sport

- NASIFA SULAIMAN

SHE glides effortlessly through the water, flicking tumble turns at the end of each lap and often touching the wall first at the end of her gruelling middle-distance races.

Lia Thomas' prowess in the pool has made her one of the finest swimmers on the University of Pennsylvania team and a bright future seemed to await.

But now that future isn't so certain.

Thomas (22) has become the face of a new ruling by Fina, swimming's international governing body, which has banned transgender athletes from competing in women's elite races - unless they transitioned before the age of 12.

Thomas started her transition in 2019, using hormone-replacement therapy, and came out as a transgender woman in her first year at university. She became the first openly transgender woman to win a US national college championship title earlier this year and the world started taking note.

Many thought she had an unfair advantage and the Fina authorities agreed.

But Thomas says she wanted to show younger transgender athletes that they aren't alone and don't have to choose between who they are and the sport they love.

"I want to swim and compete as who I am, she says.

Yet her days of competing against women on an elite level are over and she's deeply unhappy about it.

"The new Fina decision is deeply upsetting, Thomas says. "It's discriminatory and will only serve to harm all women."

LGBTQ group Athlete Ally agrees, calling the ban discriminatory, harmful, and unscientific. But Fina is sticking to its guns, saying the decision is based on science and research: if swimmers transition after the start of male puberty, they have an unfair edge over the competition.

"It isn't feasible for people who've transitioned to compete without having an advantage," says James Pearce, spokesperson for Fina president Husain Al-Musallam.