Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas had no possibility to win a legal challenge that would have opened the door for a prospective Olympics bid — and she must alternatively compete against other trans swimmers … so says a former Team USA gold medalist.

Decorated swimmer Donna De Varona, who won two golds at the 1964 Summer Olympics, joined us on “TMZ Live” Thursday, and we asked her about Lia’s failed bid to overturn guidelines stopping transgender females from competing against biological females at the Olympics.

Donna says Lia was by no means going to get the ban overturned due to the fact she did not get a U.S. Aquatics membership card, which DDV says prevented Lia’s challenge from possessing any standing from the get-go.

Lia — the very first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship — wanted to overturn a new gender policy from swimming’s governing physique, which excludes trans females who completely underwent male puberty from competing against biological females. Lia did not transition till college, so she was excluded beneath the new policy.

Donna says World Aquatics is attempting to accommodate swimmers who do not recognize with their birth sex — Lia integrated — but adds not a single swimmer signed up to compete in a new category especially for transgender swimmers … which is exciting.

Instead, Donna says trans athletes like Lia only desires to compete against biological females … which she straight-up says is not fair.

Donna’s been a leader in women’s athletics for decades, and she says she’s been tracking the quantity of podium spots across all sports exactly where transgender athletes are taking spots from biological females. The quantity is astounding … Donna says there are at least 1,000 situations.

Lia will not be taking up one particular of these podium spots at the Olympics, although, or at any other elite swimming competitors … at least for now.