Lia Thomas update ...

[murasaki]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jun/12/transgender-swimmer-lia-thomas-out-of-olympics-after-losing-legal-battle-swimming

What a shame.

Good news. Interesting about the open category last year that no one signed up for.

What a shame, poor chap can't go and do his cheating at the Olympics

oh dear, how sad.

Yes, the open category was a clear example of how this was about validation and cheating not fairness and being allowed to taken part in sport.

Great decision.

Always a tragedy when a cheater is prevented from cheating. I can barely see to type through my tears.

And it's good that Sean Ingle included that information about the lack of take up for the open category too.

Common sense prevailing at last!

Validation, cheating AND punching down on women who've spent their whole lives working to get to the point they're at and then have it stolen by a mediocre man.

I honestly think the being abusive to women aspect is the most appealing for lot of men.

Good to see that particular example of breathtaking male entitlement being firmly told, "You're just being vexatious, go away," and World Aquatics being prepared to present scientific data to contest his claim if required to do so.

I may be wrong but I don't think the journalist used any pronouns in the article, though there are some in the quote at the end. Is the Guardian trying to subtly switch horses?

I nearly put liar in the thread title, and autocorrect wanted me to.....

About time, and he should be made to pay back all his winnings and give back his medals so they can be awarded to the proper recipients. The women who he cheated out of their just rewards have still not received recompense for this injustice.

Good news. Sadly not in time for the unknown number of female swimmers who lost out on their chance to swim competitively and possibly earn sponsorship , titles, college scholarships and other rewards for years of early morning training and hard work because a mediocre male wasn’t good enough to swim as the man he is against better male swimmers.

Pleasing news initially, but something is niggling me, maybe someone can clarirfy. I'm quoting the following sentence, which I've just read from the link provided by OP:-

'However, in a 24-page decision, the court concluded that Thomas was “simply not entitled to engage with eligibility to compete in WA competitions” as someone who was no longer a member of US swimming'.

Am I reading correctly, that as Lia isn't a member of US swimming, that is the reason why he lost his legal battle? Because he wasn't entitled to make a challenge, as a non member?

I think so. Still a result re this vexatious person, but not totally clear cut. The open competition would be a suitable place, but it wasn't clear that if a member of us swimming he'd be able to compete as female. Baby steps though.

I bet if all the women signed up for the open category, then Lia Thomas and the likes would suddenly be interested in it, because it's not about being able to compete, it's about being able to compete (and beat) women

That’s interesting, the last couple of swimming articles by Sean Ingle seem to have carefully avoided pronouns when describing Thomas, though he was happy to use her to describe Laurel Hubbard in 2022. I found an article by Johanna Mellis in July last year using female pronouns for Thomas, though Mellis has a large loud drum to beat. So whether Sean Ingles articles are a policy, or a personal belief remains to be seen. Keeps my blood pressure down anyway.

Probably, but if a man signed up, Lia wouldn't as he'd get his arse handed to him on a plate. There's no incentive for women to sign up, and none for mediocre men if women don't , so it's dead in the water unless it's a strictly transwomen race. And they won't sign up if they can't beat women.

And round and round and round we go...

It's not any old Guardian journalist but Sean Ingle, and he's got form for this. I've seen at least one other article where he pulled the same trick - flawlessly, elegantly.

He's good on this. I suspect him and Jonathan Liew don't talk anymore...

Am I reading correctly, that as Lia isn't a member of US swimming, that is the reason why he lost his legal battle? Because he wasn't entitled to make a challenge, as a non member?

Yes, they basically have swerved the issue, and said that Thomas doesn't have "standing". If that wasn't the case, they'd have had to deal with the issue of sex segregated sports.

YES! 😍

🙌