Riley Gaines Responds to Lia Thomas’s Failed Bid to Compete in Women’s Olympics
Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines shared her reactions on social media to the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that transgender swimmer Lia Thomas cannot compete in Olympic and other elite women’s swimming events. According to a Yahoo Sports headline and reported by the CAS, Thomas is currently only eligible to compete in USA Swimming events that are not classed as ‘Elite Events’. Gaines celebrated this as a “victory for women and girls everywhere,” expressing her contentment to her one million followers. The post gained significant attention, receiving over 1.3 million views. Gaines also urged the NCAA to revoke all awards, titles, and records from Thomas, viewing them as unfairly taken from female athletes.
Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines reacted to the news that trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas lost his challenge to compete in the Olympics in women’s swimming events.
In a post on Wednesday on X, Gaines reposted a Yahoo Sports headline that read, “Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas loses legal challenge in CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] ruling.”
” The CAS panel found that ‘for the time being’ she is not eligible to compete in elite competitions through World Aquatics or USA Swimming, so the policy does not apply to her,” the outlet reported.
“[Thomas] is currently only entitled to compete in USA Swimming events that do not qualify as ‘Elite Events,’” according to the arbitral award.
“Great news! Lia Thomas won’t be able to compete in women’s category at the Olympics or any other elite competition,” Gaines wrote to her one million followers.
“He has just lost his legal battle in Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling,” she added, calling it a “victory for women and girls everywhere.”
The post has since gone viral with more than 1.3 million views at the time of this publication.
Gaines later called on the NCAA to “strip him[T[Thomas]of every award, title, and record he stole from a deserving female athlete.”
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 everywherehttps://t.co/fEZc47K0FA
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 12, 2024
The former swimmer wasn’t the only one reacting to the news, with many taking to social media to celebrate the decision.
“Common sense for the win,” one person wrote.
Another added, “Do I agree with biology? Yes, yes I do.”
In a statement about the decision, World Aquatics called it “a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sport.”
“World Aquatics is dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes fairness, respect, and equal opportunities for athletes of all genders and we reaffirm this pledge,” the statement said. “Our policies and practices are continuously evaluated to ensure they align with these core values, which led to the introduction of our open category.”
“We remain committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to uphold the principles of inclusivity in aquatic sports and remain confident that our gender inclusion policy represents a fair approach,” the statement concluded.
Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer, has become a vocal advocate for women’s rights in sports and has faced backlash for speaking out against biological males competing against females.
The former swimmer made headlines when she talked about how unfair it was having to swim against Thomas in 2022 and how uncomfortable it was changing in the locker room with Thomas.
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