The Olympics' arbitration court ruled today that Hawai'i-born swimmer Joan Christel Simms could compete in the Beijing Olympics for the Philippines.

Simms, who will be a senior at Punahou, has dual U.S. and Filipino citizenship and competed for the U.S. in an international event in 2007. She was entered for the Beijing Games by the Philippines, with the authorization of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

But swimming's international body, FINA, had barred her Olympic entry in June because she did not have a permanent residence in the Philippines for at least the past 12 months.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport panel ruled in the swimmer's favor, saying that FINA had previously accepted her Olympic entry from the Philippines in February and allowed her to compete for the country at the world short-course championships in March in Manchester, England

Simms has won 12 gold medals at the state swimming championships.