Seconds after edging Yale's Iszac Henig to win the 100-meter freestyle title at the Ivy League After taking a moment to towel off, the transgender swimmer for Penn turned to her right and embraced Henig, a transgender man who swims for Yale's. NCAA's 'sport-by-sport approach to transgender participation' stirs debate. CNNs Elizabeth Wolfe contributed to this report. One spectator directly called out transgender swimmer Lia Thomas before he crushed his female competitors. 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. "I was just happy to be here and race and. Hours before Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle event on Thursday, demonstrators gathered outside the Georgia Tech McAuley Aquatic Center to protest Thomas' participation in the championship. Lia has every right to live her life authentically, the letter says. Lia Thomas of the Pennsylvania Quakers shakes hands with a competitor. Reporter: You're a Virginia Tech swimmer. Lia Thomas, 23, of the University of Pennsylvania, won the 500 yards freestyle at the NCAA championships in Atlanta, Georgia yesterday. 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. In 2021 and 2022, her athletic achievements as a trans woman became a point of media debate. She participated as Will. Days later, over 300 current and former NCAA swimmers put their names on a supportive letter in response. 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. ", "Penn's Transgender Swimmer Lost to Yale's Transgender Swimmer in a Hotly Contested Women's Ivy League 100 meter Race", "Amid trans athlete debate, Penn's Lia Thomas loses to trans Yale swimmer", "Thomas first transgender athlete to win D-I title", "Thomas wins US collegiate swimming title", "Swimmer Lia Thomas becomes NCAA's first transgender D-I champion in any sport", "Why the data shows trans swimming champion Lia Thomas didn't have an unfair advantage", "Iszac Henig, Lia Thomas are All-Americans in women's 100-free", "Transgender swimmer finishes last in final college race", "What Lia Thomas Could Mean for Women's Elite Sports", "Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas speaks out about backlash, future plans to compete", "Penn swimmer Lia Thomas opens up about being the 1st transgender D-I athlete to win an NCAA title", "Transgender women swimmers barred from female competitions by Fina", "FINA vote restricts transgender athletes in women's competitions", "Transgender swimmers barred from women's events", "Lia Thomas barred from competing in women's events after swimming body's transgender vote", "FINA to restrict trans women from elite races", "Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas nominated for NCAA 2022 Woman of the Year Award", "Lia Thomas nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year, sparking praise and backlash", "Penn Parents Express Further Concerns Over Lia Thomas Competing On Women's Team", "Anti-trans panic comes to an Ivy League pool", "Official Cynthia Millen Quits, Protesting Lia Thomas' Swimming Participation", "A transgender college swimmer is shattering records, sparking a debate over fairness", "Lia Thomas succeeding from 'hard work' not because she's transgender, Penn Law groups say", "16 UPenn swimmers ask school not to challenge transgender policy that could block teammate Lia Thomas from competing", "Sixteen Penn swimmers say transgender teammate Lia Thomas should not be allowed to compete", "A trio of college swimmers show support for Lia Thomas", "Why I'm proud to support trans athletes like Lia Thomas", "Michael Phelps Weighs in on Lia Thomas Controversy", "Nancy Hogshead-Makar Explains Problems With Lia Thomas Situation", "Trans swimmer Lia Thomas winning NCAA title should spark legitimate debate, not hate", "Lia Thomas becomes 1st known transgender woman to win NCAA swimming title", "Protestors Against Lia Thomas Stand Outside & Attend Women's NCAA Championship", "17th-Place Finisher in 500 Reka Gyorgy Pens Letter to NCAA on Transgender Rules", "DeSantis rejects transgender swimmer Lia Thomas's NCAA victory", "Boebert, GOP lawmakers introduce resolution honoring second-place swimmer in Lia Thomas race", "Twitter reacts: Caitlyn Jenner plays women's golf but says trans girls should be banned from sports", "Caitlyn Jenner says trans swimmer Lia Thomas is not the 'rightful winner' of NCAA title", "Bucking Republican Trend, Indiana Governor Vetoes Transgender Sports Bill", "Louisiana Becomes Latest State To Ban Transgender Athletes In Schools", "A demand to define 'woman' injects gender politics into Jackson's confirmation hearings", "Trans athletes become campaign flashpoint for GOP", "Trans swimming champion Lia Thomas finishes college career", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lia_Thomas&oldid=1133875132, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia temporarily semi-protected biographies of living people, Pages using embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Championship, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 23:15. "[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". Penn's Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who has attracted international attention, swims her 1st NCAA race on Thursday morning as top seed in the 500 free. One spectator directly called out transgender swimmer Lia Thomas before he crushed his female competitors. I dont know what that looks like in the future. Cy Stephens Ticket Office Hours, [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". On the far side of the pool, Thomas closely watched the end of the 50-yard freestyle race and clapped in excitement upon Henigs win, a rare display of enthusiasm from Thomas at the meet. 2017. The gap between mens and womens athletic performance was so big that if you didnt give women a special team their own team that they would not have opportunities in sports, she said. She later dismissed the controversy . Swimming, from beginners to recreational to competitive swimming. 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. Thomas' performance inside of the pool has sparked a greater discussion about transgender athletes this year. Pennsylvania's Lia Thomas, center, Yale's Iszak Henig, left, and Princeton's Nikki Venema stand on the podium following a medal ceremony after Thomas won the 100-yard freestyle, Henig finished second and Venema third at the Ivy League women's swimming and diving championships at Harvard, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Cambridge, Mass. A mediocre swimmer when she competed against males, she became a superstar in the pool against women after she swapped genders. [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". The crowd of family and friends cheered politely, and Thomas posed for photos with Penn teammates and shook the hands of her closest competitors. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Swimming, from beginners to recreational to competitive swimming. Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas has made headlines so far in the NCAA season by giving several record-breaking performances after completing the first year as a woman. In the women's 500-yards freestyle in 2022, Thomas came first with a time of 04:33.24. The University of Pennsylvania's. Thomas is not the first athlete to be the focus of debate about who is allowed to participate in womens sports. 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 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. Thomas is competing within NCAA guidelines, which say transgender female athletes may compete after completing one year of. ", Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes. lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after. 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. One spectator spoke out as transgender college swimmer Lia Thomas prepared to crush his female competitors during an NCAA finals qualifier event on Thursday. The University of Pennsylvania swimmer became the first transgender athlete to win a National Collegiate. Yet in January, a month after Thomas record-setting pace at the Invitational, the NCAA said it would take a sport-by-sport approach to its rules on transgender athletes participation and defer to each sports national governing body. Lia Thomas is a transgender swimmer from the University of Pennsylvania. See all. Transgender woman Lia Thomas of the University of Pennsylvania talks to a reporter after winning the 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Championshipon March 17, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. Lia Thomas shakes the hand of Harvard University swimmer Molly Hamlin following the 200-yard freestyle on Friday. FINA members widely adopted a new gender inclusion policy on Sunday that only permits swimmers who transitioned before age 12 to compete in womens events. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas sets Ivy record in 200-yard freestyle at Ivy championships. Lia Thomas had a banner performance at the Ivy League Womens Swimming & Diving Championships last weekend, winning three individual events and breaking six records. Lia Thomas 10 Personal Facts, Biography, Wiki. "It means the world to be here, be with two "With this letter, we express our support for Lia Thomas, and all transgender college athletes, who deserve to be able to participate in safe and. Your IP: appreciated. [5] On the men's swim team in 20182019, Thomas finished second in the men's 500, 1,000, and 1,650-yard freestyle at the Ivy League championships as a sophomore in 2019. She recently rose to prominence after destroying the majority of female university records. | Before It's News.after UPenn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas won the 500-free event at the NCAA Women's Thomas becomes the first known transgender athlete to win an NCAA Div I Championship. Before her transition, she competed for three years at Penn as a man, named Will Thomas. She would have finished first again in 2021, as Paige Madden won that with a time of 04:34.61. Austin, TX. A day later, Henig and Thomas struck up a conversation at the far end of the pool, chatting and laughing as they leaned against the pool ropes. In the final for the 200 freestyle, Thomas placed fifth with a time of 1:43.50. Lia Thomas, swimming for the first time this season as a transgender woman, made more history Thursday ATLANTA In the seconds after becoming the first known transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship, University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas lingered alone in. NISCA All-America. [25] Thomas was 9.18 seconds short of Katie Ledecky's NCAA record of 4:24.06. She fell in national rankings once she started HRT in her junior year. University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, wants to continue to compete after Before competing on the women's team, Thomas spent three seasons on the men's team at Penn. [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. As a result, she has become the first transgender athlete to win a Division I national championship in any sport. I am a 18-year-old teen who loves sports ? 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. [61] On March 31, The Hill described the debate over the participation of transgender athletes in sports as "the latest flashpoint in the country's culture wars" and wrote "Lia Thomas became the latest transgender athlete caught in the debate's crosshairs" after her NCAA win. And it was not long before female swimmers raised their voice. There, she dominated the womens field in the 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, and 1,650-yard freestyle races, beating the second place finisher by about 7 seconds, 15 seconds and 38 seconds, respectively. "[43], In January 2022, the University of Pennsylvania, multiple organizations affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and the Ivy League issued statements supporting Thomas. Pool and open water. Lia Thomas, 23, of the University of Pennsylvania, won the 500 yards freestyle at the NCAA championships in Atlanta, Georgia yesterday. Conservative Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, In a column on the matter for the conservative, Gutting IRS Will Help Wealthy Avoid More Taxes | Opinion, Eliminating Income Tax Means More Money for Americans | Opinion. [13] In March, Colorado representative Lauren Boebert introduced a bill co-sponsored by 20 other Republicans that honors Weyant. Despite her success this year, her raw times are significantly slower than they were before her transition. University of Pennsylvania. Its about transphobia.. The issue of transgender women competing in college swimming contests is dividing the sporting world, with some pundits saying transgender athletes competing against cisgender women is unfair and damaging competitiveness in the sport due to "biological advantages." Pool and open water. Lia Thomas after finishing the 200-yard freestyle for the University of Pennsylvania at a swim meet against Harvard University. In 2017, she began studying at the University of Pennsylvania, from which she graduated in May 2022. University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas set a new Ivy League record at a meet in Ohio. Penn's Lia Thomas swims under water. Penn senior Lia Thomas, a trans woman, won the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle races at the Ivy League Women's Swimming and Diving Championships this week. Watch male swimmer who "identifies as" female, Lia Thomas, absolutely destroy his female competitors in this race at the NCAA championships. Although she has said that she didn't want trans athletes excluded, Davis argued that it was unfair for cisgender women that Thomas was competing against them. But its its its its hard. Transgender college swimmer Lia Thomas has spoken out about the anti-trans hostility she has faced as an athlete. [51] Some in the stands carried banners saying "Save Women's Sports". Period. 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. Competing in her 40s, she rose to become the 20th-best woman tennis player in 1979. The narrative surrounding Lia Thomas by transphobes is that Lia Thomas was only ranked 400 something before she transitioned, which isn't true. In 2021 and 2022, her athletic achievements as a trans woman became a point of media debate. [3] She competed on the university's men's swim team from 2017 to 2020, and on its women's swim team from 2021 to 2022. I immediately reacted and attempted to stretch the legbut my body just wasn't responding. It was a lot of unease, about basically just feeling trapped in my body. In an SI feature, USA Swimming representatives said they "have no issue" with her . University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas became the first transgender NCAA champion in Division I history after winning the women's Thomas competed on Pennsylvania's men's team for three years before transitioning and moving to the women's team, setting multiple programme records. [45][46][note 1] Another group of swimmers from Thomas's swim team made a separate statement supporting her competing on the women's team. [30] According to Sports Illustrated, she has applied for law school and planned to swim at the 2024 Summer Olympics trials. "[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. Looking at the last 10 NCAA free title races, in the 500-yard freestyle category, Thomas would have only come first in two of those races over the last 10 years. Nancy Hogshead-Makar sees eligibility rules as vital to the continued success of womens sports. "And we're talking about, this person's gonna swim on every relay going forward at championship meets, is going to take the position of a woman on a Thomas who competed for three years on the University of Pennsylvania Men's Swim Team has dominated women's collegiate swimming. Lia Thomas's swimmer profile, including times, results, and more. She had more laps to swim. Lia Catherine Thomas (born 1999 or 2000)[2] is an American swimmer. Beginning in 2021, she became part of the public debate about transgender women in sports. Bailar told CNN he organized the message of support because he felt the anonymous open letter was irresponsible and bullying. Yes, Lia Thomas had a surgical transformation from a boy to a girl. [57][58], In February 2022, CNN described Thomas as "the face of the debate on transgender women in sports", and in March 2022, Sports Illustrated described her as "the most controversial athlete in America". - Advertisement -. For all the fear of trans people excelling in womens sports, there have been only a few Olympians who publicly identify as trans among the tens of thousands of athletes who compete every two years. The mainstream media still are not reporting most, but sports news cannot ignore the fact that soccer players and other stars collapse in the middle of a game due to a sudden cardiac arrest. 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. On March 3, Iowa became the 11th state to pass a law forbidding trans women from competing in women's sporting events. Swimming star Michael Phelps, too, expressed his hesitations on the topic in an interview with CNN in January. I read that and I cried, he told CNN on Friday morning at a coffee shop in Somerville, Massachusetts. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the first batch of documents related to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine program after a federal judge ordered that they must University of Pennsylvania's male-to-female transgender swimmer Lia Thomas wants to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. 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. I immediately reacted and attempted to stretch the legbut my body just wasn't responding. If you are a Dude, you were a dude sperm before you ever encountered an egg. Lia Thomas is not the first trans swimmer in the N.C.A.A., but her victories have put her at the center of a debate about trans athletes. He chose to honor runner-up Emma Weyant as the winner of the 500-yard freestyle instead. "[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. Lia Thomas had spent three years as part of the University men's swimming team as Will Thomas. But outside these chlorine-splashed walls, her season-long Thomas arrived to Penn in 2017 and quickly made a mark on the men's team as a freestyle distance swimmer in the 500-yard, 1,000-yard and 1,650-yard races. Be the first to rate this post. Thomas' time was a season best and a little more than 9. Lia Thomas, swimming for the first time this season as a transgender woman, made more history Thursday ATLANTA In the seconds after becoming the first known transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship, University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas lingered alone in. [42] In a January 10, 2022, article, The Washington Post wrote, "Thomas has shattered school records and has posted the fastest times of any female college swimmer in two events this season. Joe Biden probably thought his executive order last week, Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals, was a winner twice over. Thomas, 22, kicked off the three-day event, held at the University of Akron, strong in the preliminaries Friday. [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, 23, of the University of Pennsylvania, won the 500 yards freestyle at the NCAA championships in Atlanta, Georgia yesterday. dodge grand caravan automatic headlights; lisa richardson paul tracy; michaels graduation photo album; dance it out meaning 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. 16.1k Likes, 1,435 Comments - NPR (@npr) on Instagram: "University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas is a three-time Ivy League champion. At a meet including Princeton and Cornell on Nov. Thomas and Henig embraced in the moments after the race. She has been competing since then. Lia Thomas smiles on the podium after winning the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday. Thomas is currently the fastest female swimmer in the United States and is following all competition rules, but Twitter is bashing her. Hungry Shark Arena Ubisoft, Some wonder, though, how long women will have separate sports if men can take hormones for a year and then dominate their teammates based. 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. Thomas defeated Virginia freshman Emma Weyant by 1.75. 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. This is deadnaming and disrespectful. "I will not stop bringing these actual facts into the light or be bullied into silence. [5], Brooke Forde, an Olympic silver medalist, said of Thomas that: "I believe that treating people with respect and dignity is more important than any trophy or record will ever be, which is why I will not have a problem racing against Lia at NCAAs this year". [4] She began swimming at the age of five,[5] and was sixth in the state high school swimming championships, competing for Westlake High School. [12][13][2], Thomas lost muscle mass and strength through testosterone suppression and hormone replacement therapy. 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.

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