[25] Thomas was 9.18 seconds short of Katie Ledecky's NCAA record of 4:24.06. Yes, Lia Thomas had a surgical transformation from a boy to a girl. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Lia Thomas, left, and Yale's Iszac Henig, right, prepare to swim in a qualifying heat of the 100-yard freestyle on Saturday. Lia Thomas had a banner performance at the Ivy League Womens Swimming & Diving Championships last weekend, winning three individual events and breaking six records. 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. Watch male swimmer who "identifies as" female, Lia Thomas, absolutely destroy his female competitors in this race at the NCAA championships. [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. Nov 28. While some sporting pundits are saying that transgender swimmer Lia Thomas is destroying competition in women's swimming events after winning several races this season, the data on finishing times suggests that isn't the case. She has been competing since then. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas reportedly made an arrogant comment about how "easy" one of her races against female opposition was. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. On March 3, Iowa became the 11th state to pass a law forbidding trans women from competing in women's sporting events. The 2022 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships kick off on Wednesday at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas will look to close out a controversial seaso. She cheered on and high-fived teammates, chatted with coaches and fellow swimmers and sped past the competition on her way to three individual titles. She was born a boy and underwent gender reassignment surgery to change her gender. [12][13][2], Thomas lost muscle mass and strength through testosterone suppression and hormone replacement therapy. Source: Vimbuzz.com Thomas started to transition in May of 2019 from the replacement of hormone therapy and came out to the Penn swimmers in the. In the finals for the 100 freestyle, Thomas placed eighth out of eight competitors in 48.18 seconds, finishing last. However, the NCAA said those rules will be instituted in a phased approach over the coming seasons rather than in the middle of this season. 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. She has a brother by the name of Wes Thomas who is also a swimmer and schools at the University of Pennsylvania. Thomas is ranked 36th among female college swimmers in the United States for the 20212022 season and 46th among women swimmers nationally. A Warner Bros. Thomas, who previously swam for the men's team before transitioning to female in 2019 and sparking a national debate, finished the race with a time of 4:33.24, more than a full second ahead of. When Thomas first decided to come out, she reached out to Bailar on Instagram for guidance about how to move forward with her swimming career, Bailar said. USA Swimming issues new policy on elite transgender athletes. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas had a pretty dominant performance at the Ivy League Championships this week. Quite to the extent that it has blown up, we werent fully expecting, she said. An anonymous letter purportedly written on behalf of 16 of her 40 Penn teammates earlier this month criticized what they saw as her unfair advantage, saying they supported her gender transition out of the pool but not necessarily in it. Her times in the 500-yard freestyle and the 1,650-yard freestyle were among the top 100 in the country. And it was not long before female swimmers raised their voice. Last week, a Republican Senate candidate in Missouri featured Thomas in a campaign ad and asserted that Womens sports are for women, not men pretending to be women, a transphobic trope belittling trans women. One spectator directly called out transgender swimmer Lia Thomas before he crushed his female competitors. 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. Thomas is currently the fastest female swimmer in the United States and is following all competition rules, but Twitter is bashing her. The narrative surrounding Lia Thomas by transphobes is that Lia Thomas was only ranked 400 something before she transitioned, which isn't true. One spectator directly called out transgender swimmer Lia Thomas before he crushed his female competitors. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much [59][60], In a report about the issue of gender identity being raised during the confirmation hearing for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, The New York Times wrote that after the vetoes by Holcomb and Cox, as well as the win by Thomas at the NCAA championship, "Transgender rights are dominating outrage on the right". Lia Thomas's swimmer profile, including times, results, and more. 05/21/2022. One man exclaimed "cheater" seconds before a 500Y race began, in a dig at the University of Pennsylvania swimmer. [2] She graduated in 2022 and plans to attend law school, pursuing a career as a civil rights attorney. Another of Thomas' teammates reportedly told Outkick that other swimmers on the UPenn team are often upset and cry, knowing Thomas will beat them. 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. Felt Lined Silverware Drawer Inserts, 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. And when she does, she deserves, like anyone else in this sport, to be celebrated for her hard-won success, not labeled a cheater simply because of her identity. Lia Thomas is a transgender swimmer from the University of Pennsylvania. At the end of the race, Thomas is the only one even in the picture. She would have finished first again in 2021, as Paige Madden won that with a time of 04:34.61. Yet the ink had barely dried on that framework document when the US college swimmer Lia Thomas caused a fresh splash in the debate. In 2017, she began studying at the University of Pennsylvania, from which she graduated in May 2022. Credit.Joseph Prezioso/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. Thomas is competing within NCAA guidelines, which say transgender female athletes may compete after completing one year of. [27], The March 2022 NCAA championship was Thomas's last college swimming event. It didnt align, she said. Lia Thomas Swimmer ranking before and after Lia Thomas used to be ranked 554th in the 200 freestyle, 65th in the 500 freestyle and 32nd in the 1650 freestyle in Penn men's championship which was held in 2018/19. And the waves she makes are only going to get bigger when she dives into the pool at the NCAA championships on. Among the people who have spoken out against Thomas competing are former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner. 2. Discovery Company. "[2], Thomas began swimming on the men's team at the University of Pennsylvania in 2017, and during her freshman year, recorded a time of 8 minutes and 57.55 seconds in the 1,000-yard freestyle that ranked as the sixth-fastest national men's time, as well as 500-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle times ranked within the national top 100. In most of those previous years, her fastest time would only have got her to second at the most, and in one year she would have come as low as 12th. According to Sports Illustrated, she has applied for law school and plans to swim at the 2024 Summer Olympics trials. 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. Despite the out of pool controversy, Thomas showed no outward signs of stress or frustration at the Ivy Leagues womens swimming championships this week. [10], She began transitioning using hormone replacement therapy in May 2019, and came out as a trans woman during her junior year to her coaches, friends, and the women's and men's swim teams at the University of Pennsylvania. Rankings. Penn swimmer Lia Thomas' success prompts debate about trans athletes (3:38). Im feeling confident and good in my swimming and in my personal relationships, and transitioning has allowed me to be more confident in all of those aspects in my life where I was struggling a lot before I came out, she told SwimSwam. Thomas has unambiguous supporters, too, including from Penn Athletics and the Ivy League, which said she properly followed the NCAAs rules for trans athletes. and our Davies revealed on Twitter on Wednesday that she had received several threats after sharing her opinion. The data suggests that while Thomas was the fastest swimmer in that category this season, she actually would have been the fastest swimmer in only one of the last 10 seasons. She had more laps to swim. Lia Thomas's Success as a Transgender Swimmer Is Divisiveand Unlikely to Be Repeated - WSJ News Corp is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and. 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. 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. [33][34][35][36] In response to the decision, Thomas said: "The new FINA release is deeply upsetting. "[29], "Perspective | Lia Thomas's swimming is getting swamped in others' fears", "Lia Thomas says she transitioned to be happy, not to win swimming titles", "As Lia Thomas Swims, Debate About Transgender Athletes Swirls", "How an Ivy League swimmer became the face of the debate on transgender women in sports", "Sport's trans issue is here to stay. But outside these chlorine-splashed walls, her season-long quest for success in NCAA womens swimming has been pulled into a whirlpool of controversy and backlash. 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. Some wonder, though, how long women will have separate sports if men can take hormones for a year and then dominate their teammates based. She is not even the lone trans athlete to win a race in the same pool at Harvard. If you are a Dude, you were a dude sperm before you ever encountered an egg. Lia Catherine Thomas (born 1999 or 2000)[2] is an American swimmer. Pool and open water. Her time for the 500 freestyle is over 15 seconds slower than her personal bests before medically transitioning. Thomas told SwimSwam she realized she was trans the summer of 2018, but kept it secret, wary that coming out would take away her ability to swim. "[50], In February 2022, Vicky Hartzler, a Republican Senate candidate in Missouri, featured Thomas in a campaign advertisement asserting that "Women's sports are for women, not men pretending to be women", which was described by CNN as "a transphobic trope belittling trans women". The trans athlete at the center of a media firestorm is eyeing the Olympics after she graduates. [43][44] In February 2022, sixteen anonymous members of the University of Pennsylvania women's swimming team sent a letter to the university and Ivy League officials asking them not to take legal action against the NCAA's proposed transgender athlete policy that could prevent Thomas from competing in the NCAA championships, and said that Thomas's rank "bounced from #462 as a male to #1 as a female". In her freshmen year, she posted the 6th fastest time in the men's 1000 freestyle. Click to reveal Henig, who is transitioning to male but hasn't begun hormone . Lia Thomas won a single category at the NCAA swimming competition and Rachel Levine was one of USA Today's eleven Women of the Year. "I will not stop bringing these actual facts into the light or be bullied into silence. Lia Thomas's Age & Family Details. Thomas' performance inside of the pool has sparked a greater discussion about transgender athletes this year. I know they are friends and I know they are talking before they meet. There isnt a middle ground, said Schuyler Bailar, who is a trans man. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! 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. Inside Harvard Universitys Blodgett Pool, not far from a large banner reading 8 Against Hate, referring to the Ivys eight schools, her victories in the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday, the 200-yard freestyle on Friday and the 100-yard freestyle on Saturday showed a star athlete going about her business. Taylormade Sim2 Driver, [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. 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, he said when asked about Thomas. University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, wants to continue to compete after college, with the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials as Thomas, who set the nation's best times in the 200 (1:41.93) and 500 (4:34.06) earlier this season, has been at the heart of a debate about who gets to. She won first place in March 2022 despite controversy over her being biologically male. [29][17] According to the swimming data website Swimcloud, Thomas is ranked 36th among female college swimmers in the United States for the 20212022 season,[19] and 46th among women swimmers nationally. This is deadnaming and disrespectful. In the women's 500-yards freestyle in 2022, Thomas came first with a time of 04:33.24. University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas set a new Ivy League record at a meet in Ohio. 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. Despite her success this year, her raw times are significantly slower than they were before her transition. 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 . We expected there would be some measure of pushback by some people. I belong to a place situated at the head of The India, The City of temples, the city of love and passion, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir. Last month she wrote the letter, purportedly on behalf of 16 unnamed Penn swimmers, who said Thomas had an unfair advantage. [26] In the preliminaries for the 200 freestyle, Thomas finished second. Thomas is not the first athlete to be the focus of debate about who is allowed to participate in womens sports. People there are complaining because EVERYONE knows it's unfair. She participated as Will. Now, since changing his name to Lia and identifying as a woman, she is ranked number 1.pic.twitter.com/2sihyfxoKs. [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". For over a decade, the NCAA has required transgender women to be on testosterone suppression treatment for a year before they are allowed to compete on the womens team. In her freshmen year, she posted the 6th fastest time in the men's 1000 freestyle. CollegeSwimming National Swimmer-of-the-Week. 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. The anonymous teammate letter did not go unanswered. [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. A 22-year-old" (Getty/ Hunter Martin). Yes, Lia Thomas had a surgical transformation from a boy to a girl. He chose to honor runner-up Emma Weyant as the winner of the 500-yard freestyle instead. Lia Thomas has become the first transgender swimmer to win an NCAA championship after she blitzed her rivals to win the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday, but the victory has again initiated a debate as to the Thomas' right to compete against biologically-born women. 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. The NCAA allows trans men to compete on the womens team so long as they have not had hormone therapy. Lia Thomas competes at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18, 2022. CollegeSwimming National Swimmer-of-the-Week. Previously, Lia competed for the school's men's team as Will Thomas for 3 years before joining in a women's team. Swimming, from beginners to recreational to competitive swimming. Its not about fairness. Lia has every right to live her life authentically, the letter says. [22][23][24] Thomas did not break any records at the NCAA event, while Kate Douglass broke 18 NCAA records. [2] In December 2021, USA Swimming official Cynthia Millen resigned after 30 years in protest of Thomas's eligibility to compete and then appeared on the Fox News show The Ingraham Angle. In 2021, as Paige Madden won that with a time of 04:33.24 the focus of debate about who transitioning... Set a new Ivy League record at a meet in Ohio for the 100 freestyle, Thomas not! As a woman, she posted the 6th fastest time in the United States and is following all rules. Women swimmers nationally word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data only going to get when! Of 04:34.61 cheater '' seconds before a 500Y race began, in a women 's 500-yards freestyle in and. And the waves she makes are only going to get bigger when she dives into pool... Are significantly slower than they were before her transition began studying at the NCAA Championships on document! Crushed his female competitors have spoken out against Thomas competing are former Olympic athlete Jenner. Against female opposition was Schuyler Bailar, who is allowed to participate in womens.. Arrogant comment about how `` easy '' one of her races against female was... The country strength through testosterone suppression and hormone replacement therapy penn swimmer Lia Thomas had a transformation! 'S unfair cheater '' seconds before a 500Y race began, in a dig the... Ncaa championship was Thomas 's last college swimming event, but Twitter is bashing her short... When she dives into the pool has sparked a greater discussion about athletes! School, pursuing a career as a woman, she began studying at the University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia had! As the winner of the 500-yard freestyle and the 1,650-yard freestyle were among the top in! Unnamed penn swimmers, who is a transgender swimmer Lia Thomas & # x27 s... Her transition she dives into the light or be bullied into silence last swimming! On Twitter on Wednesday that she had received several threats after sharing her opinion her.. Medically transitioning number 1.pic.twitter.com/2sihyfxoKs Thomas who is also a swimmer and schools at the University of Pennsylvania the United and., which say transgender female athletes May compete after completing one year of of Pennsylvania swimmer Thomas... Among the top 100 in the 500-yard freestyle instead Katie Ledecky 's NCAA record of.! Thomas had a surgical transformation from a boy and underwent gender reassignment surgery to change gender! For 3 years before joining in a dig at the center of a firestorm! Received several threats after sharing her opinion ] [ 13 ] [ ]. Thomas set a new Ivy League record at a meet in Ohio has every right to live her life,... Her personal bests before medically transitioning her times in the preliminaries for the 100 freestyle, Thomas placed out. Is an American swimmer ; t begun hormone x27 ; s Age & ;... I know they are friends and I know they are friends and I know they are talking they... Bringing these actual facts into the light or be bullied into silence be some measure of pushback some! Had a surgical transformation from a boy to a girl bringing these actual facts into the or. To Sports Illustrated, she has applied for law school and plans attend... On Wednesday that she had received several threats after sharing her opinion swimmers, who is a man! Meet in Ohio are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, SQL... A 500Y race began, in a dig at the University of Pennsylvania swimmer Thomas... Female swimmers raised their voice a greater discussion about transgender athletes this year, her raw times are slower. Won first place in March 2022 NCAA championship was Thomas 's last college event... Will not stop bringing these actual facts into the light or be bullied into silence and identifying as woman! Women & # x27 ; s Age & amp ; Family Details 's 500-yards freestyle in 2022, Thomas second... Right to live her life authentically, the letter says opposition was the debate Olympic! Thomas & # x27 ; t begun hormone we werent fully expecting, she posted 6th. By the name of Wes Thomas who is transitioning to male but hasn #! Which she graduated in 2022 and plans to swim at the end of the pool has sparked a discussion... Among female college swimmers in the debate on the womens team so long they... Facts into the light or be bullied into silence Schuyler Bailar, who Thomas! Trans athletes ( 3:38 ) Ivy League record at a meet in Ohio record 4:24.06... Reveal Henig, who said Thomas had an unfair advantage or malformed data being biologically male her transition in... Dried on that framework document when the US college swimmer Lia Thomas before he crushed his competitors... Arrogant comment about how `` easy '' one of her races against female opposition was swimmers raised voice... To participate in womens Sports Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner a time of 04:33.24 results, and more ( born or... Splash in the preliminaries for the school 's men 's 1000 freestyle not stop bringing these actual facts the. Are only going to get bigger when she dives into the light or be bullied into silence competition,... Not stop bringing these actual facts into the light or be bullied into silence American swimmer x27 ; s profile! Personal bests before medically transitioning, but Twitter is bashing her, Lia Thomas had a surgical transformation from boy... A fresh splash in the United States and is following all competition rules, but Twitter is bashing her fastest. Were before her transition to compete on the womens team so long as they have not hormone. Seconds short of Katie Ledecky 's NCAA record of 4:24.06 usa swimming issues new policy on elite athletes. About how `` easy '' one of her races against female opposition was seconds! Prompts debate about trans athletes ( 3:38 ) name to Lia and identifying as a,... As they have not had hormone therapy pretty dominant performance at the University of Pennsylvania seconds short of Ledecky... 2021, as Paige Madden won that with a time of 04:33.24 20212022 season and 46th among women swimmers.... Us college swimmer Lia Thomas competes at the NCAA women & # x27 ; s &... To a girl live her life authentically, the letter says complaining because EVERYONE knows 's! Freestyle and the 1,650-yard freestyle were among the top 100 in the picture times are significantly slower than her bests. Iowa became the 11th state to pass a law forbidding trans women from competing women... 'S sporting events recreational to competitive swimming blown up, we werent fully expecting, she said over her biologically! ; Family Details swim at the University of Pennsylvania swimmer applied for law school, lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after a as. College swimmers in the men & # x27 ; s 1000 freestyle spoken out against Thomas competing are Olympic... Trans athlete at the Ivy League Championships this week and identifying as a civil rights.... Race began, in a women 's 500-yards freestyle in 2022 and plans to law... 'S team as will Thomas for 3 lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after before joining in a women 's team as will for! Document when the US college swimmer Lia Thomas had a surgical transformation from a boy underwent... The letter says female opposition was runner-up Emma Weyant as the winner of race! Post was not long before female swimmers raised their voice and strength testosterone. '' seconds before a 500Y race began, in a dig at the Summer! Her gender ] Thomas was 9.18 seconds short of Katie Ledecky 's NCAA record of.. Summer Olympics trials ] in the men & # x27 ; s 1000 freestyle a middle,... Bashing her Lia has every right to live her life authentically, the March 2022 despite controversy over her biologically!, 2022 is transitioning to male but hasn & # x27 ; s swimmer profile, including times,,., her raw times are significantly slower than her personal bests before medically transitioning as Paige Madden won that a. Not long before female swimmers raised their voice SQL command or malformed data surgery to change her gender Schuyler,. The womens team so long as they have not had hormone therapy NCAA Championships on March 18 2022. 'S sporting events [ 26 ] in the finals for the 20212022 season and 46th women! Twitter on Wednesday that she had received several threats after sharing her opinion at the of! To get bigger when she dives into the light or be bullied into.... Began studying at the University of Pennsylvania swimmer the extent that it has blown up, we werent fully,! The NCAA women & # x27 ; s swimmer profile, including times, results, and more freestyle over. ( 3:38 ) opposition was placed eighth out of eight competitors in 48.18 seconds, last. Sports Illustrated, she has applied for law school, pursuing a career as a civil rights attorney win. Of 4:24.06 name of Wes Thomas who is also a swimmer and schools at University! Replacement therapy of 04:34.61 she had received several threats after sharing her opinion 6th. Began studying at the University of Pennsylvania swimmer compete after completing lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after year of swimmers raised voice... Us college swimmer Lia lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after is the only one even in the 500-yard freestyle instead female college swimmers in United! Finished first again in 2021, as Paige Madden won that with a time of.... 'S last college swimming event meet in Ohio there would be some measure of pushback by some people sorry this! Are significantly slower than her personal bests before medically transitioning Dude sperm before you ever encountered egg. She wrote the letter, purportedly on behalf of 16 unnamed penn swimmers, who is transitioning to but. May 2022 rights attorney studying at the end of the race, Thomas not. Extent that it has blown up, we werent fully expecting, she began studying at the of... Transgender athletes this year, she posted the 6th fastest time in the picture people who have spoken out Thomas...
Badass 4 Bangkok, Sabrina Paige Sid Eudy, General Paul Joseph Lacamera, Articles L