Thomas raced as Will Thomas during her first three years at Pennsylvania and in 2019 was ranked outside the top 500 men in the US. She would have finished first again in 2021, as Paige Madden won that with a time of 04:34.61. She was also ranked #49 in men's 1650 and #98 in men's 500. University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, center, qualified for Thursday's 500-yard final at the Washington (AFP) - Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was the fastest qualifier for Thursday's 500-yard freestyle final at the US collegiate women's swimming and diving championships in Atlanta. After a few seconds of trying and horrendous pain, I finally yelled for help, and the lifeguard on duty was quickly. ATLANTA Lia Thomas, the transgender woman whose record-threatening times on the University of Pennsylvania's swim team made her a star of college athletics . Bailar told CNN he organized the message of support because he felt the anonymous open letter was irresponsible and bullying. Another of Thomas' teammates reportedly told Outkick that other swimmers on the UPenn team are often upset and cry, knowing Thomas will beat them. [5] In March, roughly 50 protesters and counter-protesters gathered outside the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center when Thomas swam in the NCAA Division I national championship. Nancy Hogshead-Makar sees eligibility rules as vital to the continued success of womens sports. The unfairness was clear when University of Pennsylvania transgender swimmer Lia Thomas startedblitzing the competition. Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, swims for the University of Pennsylvania at an Ivy League swim meet The policy for elite student swimmers and divers was, according to a press release posted online Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, warms up before swimming for the University of. A female NCAA swimmer spoke out on Thursday after transgender swimmer Lia Thomas won the first event at the NCAA Swimming and diving finals for women. [19], In a race during January 2022 at a meet against UPenn's Ivy League rival Yale, Thomas finished in 6th place in the 100m freestyle race, losing to four cisgender women and Iszac Henig, a transgender man, who transitioned without hormone therapy. Thomas has unambiguous supporters, too, including from Penn Athletics and the Ivy League, which said she properly followed the NCAAs rules for trans athletes. March 17, 2022. I am a 18-year-old teen who loves sports ? See all. Thomas raced as Will Thomas during her first three years at Pennsylvania and in 2019 was ranked outside the top 500 men in the US. Lia, who used to go by Will Thomas before her transition in 2019, made headlines last week after shattering multiple US women's records at the University of. [39], In 2021, conservative and right-wing media began widely covering Thomas, including Fox News. Lia Thomas Swimming Controversy refers to a transgender woman named Lia Thomas who competed for the University of Pennsylvania in the 2022 women's NCAA swimming championship. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas reportedly made an arrogant comment about how "easy" one of her races against female opposition was. In 2017, she began studying at the University of Pennsylvania, from which she graduated in May 2022. Lia Thomas, now competing for the Penn women's team after previously swimming for the men's team And Thomas is even rising in the all-time rankings: her 200 free performance makes her the Thomas is not the first collegiate swimmer to come out as transgender and make the switch. Controversy continued for transgender swimmer Lia Thomas a biological male who identifies as a female after winning the women's 500-yard freestyle at In addition, Thomas declined to speak at a press conference after the race, even though NCAA media guidelines state that "champions of each. "I'm not a man. Updated [25] Thomas was 9.18 seconds short of Katie Ledecky's NCAA record of 4:24.06. After a few seconds of trying and horrendous pain, I finally yelled for help, and the lifeguard on duty was quickly. [62] The National Women's Law Center, a non-profit organization, defended Thomas, saying that she "deserves all the celebration for her success this season, but instead is being met with nationwide misogyny and transphobia". Lia Thomas, whose real name is William, took a huge lead in the second half of the race and finished in 4 minutes, 37.32 seconds, which is three seconds better than his personal best and three-tenths of a second faster than the pool record. Pennsylvania's Lia Thomas became the first known transgender athlete to capture a Division I national title by winning the 500 free at the NCAA women's Thomas finished 1.75 seconds ahead of second-place Emma Weyant, who attends Virginia. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. USA Swimming issues new policy on elite transgender athletes. The Ivy League and the University of Pennsylvania issued statements in support of Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer whose recent record-breaking wins put her. I am a student and a blogger all alone, Gurmeet. Yes, Lia Thomas had a surgical transformation from a boy to a girl. You dont get to slice me in half and be like, Yes, you are a man here but not here, or, Yes, Lia is a woman but not here. We dont exist in parts. [20][21], In March 2022, Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship in any sport, after winning the women's 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:33.24; Olympic silver medalist Emma Weyant was second with a time 1.75 seconds behind Thomas. Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b73623984e6c90 [5] Lia Thomas had spent three years as part of the University men's swimming team as Will Thomas. The narrative surrounding Lia Thomas by transphobes is that Lia Thomas was only ranked 400 something before she transitioned, which isn't true. [63] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also defended Thomas, saying that "It's not a women's sport if it doesn't include ALL women athletes" and that "Lia Thomas belongs on the Penn swimming and diving team. "[48] 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps said that "I believe that we all should feel comfortable with who we are in our own skin, but I think sports should all be played on an even playing field" and "I don't know what that looks like in the future. In an SI feature, USA Swimming representatives said they "have no issue" with her . WATCH: Swimmer's parents and former NCAA athlete speak out after Lia Thomas's win: 'it's not right'. [32], In June 2022, the International Swimming Federation (FINA), an organization that administers international aquatic sports competitions, voted to bar all transgender athletes from competing in professional women's swimming, with the exception of athletes who "can establish to FINA's comfortable satisfaction that they have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 (of puberty) or before age 12, whichever is later", barring Thomas from competing in the women's competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics as she had planned. She was born a boy and underwent gender reassignment surgery to change her gender. ", while social media users responded by pointing out Jenner has previously expressed support for transgender athletes and has competed in women's golf. Before her transition, she competed for three years at Penn as a man, named Will Thomas. 16 UPenn swimmers ask school not to challenge transgender policy that could block teammate Lia Thomas from competing, We fully support Lia Thomas in her decision to affirm her gender identity and to transition from a man to a woman. Transgender women may have a disadvantage in some sports, given their heavier musculature, said. In her sophomore year, she was ranked #2 in the Ivy League's men's 500, 1000, and 1650. See all. "[5][49] 3-time Olympic gold medalist Nancy Hogshead-Makar stated "Trans women should compete with biological women, so long as they can demonstrate that they have lost their sex-linked, male-puberty advantage prior to competition in the womens category. Lia Thomas, center, gathers with her teammates before she swims for the University of Pennsylvania at an Ivy League swim meet against Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on January 22, 2022. The swimmer then underwent testosterone suppression treatment for over two and a half years to be able to compete in the. "[59] As of June 2022, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia have laws prohibiting public schools from allowing the participation of transgender girls in school sports for girls. So after a year of HRT, Thomas submitted medical documentation and was approved to compete for the womens team for the 2020-21 season, she said. (Thomas did swim better times in the 1650 in earlier years). All Rights Reserved. Days later, over 300 current and former NCAA swimmers put their names on a supportive letter in response. Penn swimmer Lia Thomas, the first transgender athlete to win a Division I national championship, ended her colligiate swimming career with an 8th place finish in the 100-yard freestyle final. [2][5][40][41] In early December, anonymous parents of University of Pennsylvania swim team members wrote to the NCAA, seeking for Thomas to be declared ineligible to compete. the right thing and admit that they were wrong & that much more has to go into this before people like Lia can. In the past couple of years, Republican-led states across the country have passed laws to keep trans women and girls from participating in girls and womens sports in the name of fairness, and Thomas quickly became the personification of those fears. One spectator directly called out transgender swimmer Lia Thomas before he crushed his female competitors. Our transness is not something we can just take off and put over here. Thousands of people have added their names to the petitions in the past few weeks, after transgender athlete Lia Thomas's triumph at the NCAA Division 1 women's swimming championship drew . [2] She graduated in 2022 and plans to attend law school, pursuing a career as a civil rights attorney. [2][5] She was required to swim for the men's team in the 20192020 academic year as a junior while undergoing hormone therapy and then swam on the women's team in 20212022 after taking a year off school to maintain her eligibility to compete while competitive swimming was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 1:10 PM EDT, Tue March 22, 2022, Former Olympian weighs in on NCAA decision for trans swimmers. Lia Thomas shattered even more records during a "Being trans has not affected my ability to do this sport and being able to continue is very rewarding." Cookie Notice NCAA's 'sport-by-sport approach to transgender participation' stirs debate. Lia Thomas's swimmer profile, including times, results, and more. Lia Thomas, a senior at the University of Pennsylvania . Davies revealed on Twitter on Wednesday that she had received several threats after sharing her opinion. Period. Being born in the family of literals Education and prosperity has been a sole purpose to follow, but I have chosen a different path for my life. Earlier that same year, swimmer Lia Thomas sparked a national debate after becoming the first trans athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship. The University of Pennsylvania swimmer was the meets highest-scoring swimmer, setting stage for next months NCAA championships, where she is favored to win the 200- and 500-yard freestyles. I hope you'll consider taking it down or changing the wording. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas powered to a historic victory in the 500-yard freestyle at the US collegiate championships in Atlanta on Friday in the latest milestone win of her controversial career. She'll probably be a favorite at the NCAA championships in March, even as people inside and outside the sport debate her place on the pool deck. Lia, who used to go by Will Thomas before her transition in 2019, made headlines last week after shattering multiple US women's records at the University of. A Warner Bros. University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, center, qualified for Thursday's 500-yard final at the Washington (AFP) - Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was the fastest qualifier for Thursday's 500-yard freestyle final at the US collegiate women's swimming and diving championships in Atlanta. However, we also recognize that when it comes to sports competition, that the biology of sex is a separate issue from someones gender identity.. No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post. If Lia (born Will) Thomas were not the self-absorbed narcissist that from all indications (s) Thomas' instantly vaulting from a national ranking of No. Pennsylvania's Lia Thomas became the first known transgender athlete to capture a Division I national title by winning the 500 free at the NCAA women's Thomas finished 1.75 seconds ahead of second-place Emma Weyant, who attends Virginia. Anti-trans critics have been tying themselves in knots trying to figure out how a trans man and three cis. Sports Illustrated. Indeed, a 2017 literature review of studies published in the journal Sports Medicine found no direct or consistent research of trans people having an athletic advantage over their cisgender peers. University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas set a new Ivy League record at a meet in Ohio. The NCAA allows trans men to compete on the womens team so long as they have not had hormone therapy. Breaker The Magical Warrior Banned, Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas powered to a historic victory in the 500-yard freestyle at the US collegiate championships in Atlanta on Friday in the latest milestone win of her controversial career. University of Pennsylvania swimmer and newly anointed national champion Lia Thomas has found herself at the center of America's debate over transgender One day after finishing third behind Thomas and Virginia Cavaliers star Emma Weyant, Sullivan penned an op-ed for Newsweek, in. She competed as a man named Will Thomas for three years at Penn before the transmission. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, center, with teammates during warmup laps before a meet with Harvard on Saturday, Jan. Lia Thomas, 22, set new U.S. swimming records at the Zippy Invitational in Akron, Ohio over the weekend, according to the university. Austin, TX. In a column on the matter for the conservative Daily Mail newspaper, Davis also incorrectly said that Thomas was 6 ft 4 in tall; she is actually 6 ft 1 in. At the end of the race, Thomas is the only one even in the picture. appreciated. Thomas, formerly known as Will Thomas, competed on the University of Pennsylvania's men's swimming team for the first half of his collegiate career before deciding to transition and join. Transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas was crushed in the 100-meter breaststroke, finishing fifth, after being beaten by another transgender swimmer who is transitioning from female to male. "I've received several threats to myself and my work because I present evidence based facts on the unfairness of male inclusion in women's sport," Davies said. Please wait, loading. Penn swimmer Lia Thomas's decision to keep swimming as a transgender woman has spawned a thousand think-pieces, new rules and threats of legal challenges over her presence. Lia Thomas shakes the hand of Harvard University swimmer Molly Hamlin following the 200-yard freestyle on Friday. [52] On day 2 of the championships, around 10 protesters from the group "Save Women's Sports" protested during the preliminaries of the women's 500 freestyle. Fierce Debate In the 2016-2017 season, Thomas's 2021-2022 time would have ranked her 12th. The three-time gold medalist swimmer, civil rights lawyer and CEO of the non-profit advocacy group Champion Women has become a spokesperson of sorts for frustrated Penn swimmers and their parents. The letter was organized by the organization Athlete Ally and Schuyler Bailar, a former Harvard swimmer who became the first transgender man to compete on a NCAA Division I mens team in 2015. Reporter: You're a Virginia Tech swimmer. Before her transition, she competed for three years at Penn as a man, named Will Thomas. 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