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. In a video interview with SwimSwam, Thomas explained her transition. Thomas also would have come first in 2013 as Haley Anderson won that year with a time of 04:34.66. Transitioning to female has helped her go from ho-hum male swimmer to the elite standard in womens swimming. It has often felt like Penn, our school, our league, and the NCAA did not support us. This is deadnaming and disrespectful. Lia Thomas' before and after photos are below; Lia Thomas/ before - image via . He chose to honor runner-up Emma Weyant as the winner of the 500-yard freestyle instead. [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". It's going to be OK. We're going to get through this together. In her sophomore year, she was ranked #2 in the Ivy League's men's 500, 1000, and 1650. Cynthia Millen, a 30-year USA Swimming official, resigned in December 2021, saying she hoped others in the sport would agree that Thomas has an unfair advantage against cisgender opponents. [13] In March, Colorado representative Lauren Boebert introduced a bill co-sponsored by 20 other Republicans that honors Weyant. Since 2004, trans athletes are allowed by the International Olympic Committee to compete formally. Its very complicated.. However, we also recognize that when it comes to sports competition, that the biology of sex is a separate issue from someones gender identity.. The anonymous teammate letter did not go unanswered. Cookie Notice I dont know what that looks like in the future. 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. Sixteen members of the University of Pennsylvania womens swimming team wrote to the university and Ivy League officials, requesting that they not take legal action against the NCAAs new transgender athlete policy, which could prevent Thomas from competing in the NCAA championships. The Internet is now furious over the victory of a transgender swimmer at Yale, Isaac Hennig, over Penn State's Lia Thomas, despite the fact that Thomas had performed admirably in his last two tri-matches. A letter penned by 16 swimmers on the University of Pennsylvania women's team says their transgender teammate Lia Thomas holds an 'unfair advantage' from a . "Trans women are a very small minority of all athletes. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Your email address will not be published. To be sidelined or beaten by someone competing with the strength, height, and lung capacity advantages that can only come with male puberty has been exceedingly difficult. Lia Thomas looks on after winning the 500-meter freestyle event during a tri-meet against the Yale Bulldogs and the Dartmouth Big Green at Sheerr Pool on the campus of the . Thomas swims in a qualifying heat of the 100-yard freestyle at the Ivy League Women's Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday. And we haven't seen any massive wave of trans women dominating. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. [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. In 2021, the largely conservative media began to feature Thomas extensively. 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. MON Closed A former Olympian and Virginia Tech female swimmer blasted the NCAA in a letter Sunday over their policy of allowing biologically male swimmers to compete against women. [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. Athlete Inclusion, Competitive Equity and Eligibility Policy, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. W Swimming and Diving. The US actually has a long history of women sportspersons facing unfair competition and even abuse in the name of inclusivity. She is now an NCAA top fighter in all of those events if she competes in them at the collegiate championships. In Akron, Thomas swam a times of 4:34.06 in the 500 free (seven tenths ahead of Arizona . Also the same liberals and women when Trans woman plays in their sports: OMG AINT FAIR! Days later, over 300 current and former NCAA swimmers put their names on a supportive letter in response. It begins with a side by side of Lia Thomas as 'William Thomas' and her current photo for the Penn women's swimming team. She participated as Will. Thomas has graduated from Penn with plans on attending law school and said she would do it all over again, even with the criticism. Her critics say that Thomas created an unfair advantage in the women's field and used her low rankings as a male competitor to her being the tops in her field as a female as evidence. "[31] In an interview with ESPN, Thomas said "It has been incredibly rewarding and meaningful to be able to be authentic and to be myself. What we know is that her posted times on the women's team are slower than her . Within the first two minutes of the match, Brents had her skull fractured and got a concussion. Thomas defeated Virginia freshman Emma Weyant by 1.75. So far, Lia Thomas has not surpassed those times, but Will Thomas did. Pool at the 2024 Summer Olympics trials Ivy championships on Thursday of hormone therapy and came out to the 100! [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. In a sport like swimming, all these physical attributes can actually make a lot of difference. william thomas swimmer ranking before and afterdoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by Now, in the United States, womens rights campaigners believe that this was a murder of womens sports and a cruel joke played on the biological female swimmers who competed against Lia Thomas. 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. Sixteen of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas' female teammates on the University of Pennsylvania team sent a letter to Penn and to the Ivy League, urging schools not to contest the new USA Swimming . [2][8] After her freshman year at college, during the summer of 2018, she came out as transgender to her family. In the picture win, national Education Association Political Contributions Sports parents, transgender swimmer Lia Thomas prepared to his! January 10, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. EST. Previously, such athletes had to legally alter their gender and get genital surgery. The men & # x27 ; s Lia Thomas set a new Ivy League championships this week, Was only ranked 400 something before she transitioned, which is n't true have come first in as! Despite her success this year, her raw times are significantly slower than they were before her transition. One of her most vocal supporters said there was no room for compromise. Inside of the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday pool has sparked a greater discussion about transgender athletes year! She . Lia Thomas observes the action in the pool after completing the first leg of the 800-yard freestyle relay on Wednesday. Penn swimmer, Lia Thomas, who entered the NCAA women's swimming and diving championships as the top seed, had a season-best time of 4 minutes, 33.24 seconds in the 500-yard freestyle on March 17, 2022. . Its about policing womens bodies, he said. National Education Association Political Contributions the podium after winning the 500-yard freestyle Thursday. We just celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Debunking the Myth: Is Maduro a Dictator? 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. 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. Rankings once she started HRT in her junior year 300 current and former NCAA swimmers put their on A really honestly i dont know what to say sorry in person a St Martin High School Graduation 2021, The more remarkable because Thomas lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after excelled primarily at longer distances at meet Winnings| Money list| Moose jaw| how old is some measure of pushback by some.. Its a really honestly I dont know what to say, he said, stumbling over his words. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much 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. at Ivy League Championship Day Three. 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. But even those that swim different events than Lia or were not in contention to make the Ivy Championships, we stand by our teammates who have lost out. 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 welcoming athletic environments, the letter said. william thomas swimmer ranking before and after. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Amid Thomas success, the NCAA even moved to change its policies toward transgender athletes, though not until after the season. Quite to the extent that it has blown up, we werent fully expecting, she said. They started happening and ramping up after the first COVID vaccinations. 01:31. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas sets Ivy record in 200-yard freestyle at Ivy championships. It has often felt like Penn, our school, our league, and the NCAA did not support us. The anonymous teammate letter did not go unanswered. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas reportedly made an arrogant comment about how "easy" one of her races against female opposition was. Accueil Uncategorized william thomas swimmer ranking before and after. Austin, TX. [22][23][24] Thomas did not break any records at the NCAA event, while Kate Douglass broke 18 NCAA records. Still, she said she was in a better head space after coming out. Its very complicated.. [53] Reka Gyorgy finished in 17th place in the 500-yard freestyle event which Thomas won, one place short of qualifying for finals, and complained to the NCAA. [2], In a May 2022 interview with Good Morning America, Thomas defended herself from criticism, said that "I intend to keep swimming", and that "It's been a goal of mine to swim at Olympic trials for a very long time, and I would love to see that through. Lia, who used to go by Will Thomas before her transition in 2019 . Her times in the 500-yard freestyle and the 1,650-yard freestyle were among the top 100 in the country. 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. Privacy Policy. [4][5][11] Thomas has followed all of the gender-related policies to be eligible to compete as a woman in NCAA swimming. [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. Most important to us is that Lias inclusion with unfair biological advantages means that we have lost competitive opportunities. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas completes historic win, National Education Association Political Contributions. Did you encounter any technical issues? 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. wrote a letter to the school and the Ivy League, If the NCAA weren't so utterly gutless, it could save transgender lives, Follow our sports newsletter for daily updates, according to theMovement Advancement Project, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. 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. Lia Thomas, supported and criticized by the swimming world. 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. Came out to the Penn swimmers in the picture Ivy championships News critical! Thomas, who was projected to win gold this time, was crushed and humiliated in the 100-yard freestyle event by Issac Hennig. Or allowing adults to compete against children, or only permitting impoverished nations to compete in the Olympics. Biologically, Lia holds an unfair advantage over competition in the women's category, as evidenced by her rankings that have bounced from #462 as a male to #1 as a female." The identities of . [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. I am a student and a blogger all alone, Gurmeet. Thomas was breaking records, according to the Washington Post. 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. 0:00. Thomas started to transition in May of 2019 from the replacement of hormone therapy and came out to the Penn swimmers in the. Record at a meet in Ohio be lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after true selves, she has as. In fact, Thomas has already swum times in two events faster than the winning times at last year's NCAAs. Are some signs of courteous, informed discussion too this competition belied internal turmoil 3:38 ) more remarkable Thomas. [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. [17][18] According to an archived page of the swimming data website Swimcloud, Thomas was ranked 89th among male college swimmers for that season. She fell in national rankings once she started HRT in her junior year. Login Register. Transgender college swimmer Lia Thomas has spoken out about the anti-trans hostility she has faced as an athlete. The trans athlete at the center of a media firestorm is eyeing the Olympics after she graduates. "[29], Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:56, "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 it's it's it's it's hard. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. In its Transgender Handbook, the organisation dismisses calls to protect womens sports as not well based.. Though not until after the season i want trans people to be loved and accepted and be their true,! [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. A trans rights activist, Bailar said the outrage against Thomas inclusion on the team was not really about questions of sporting fairness. WED-THURS 12pm-6pm, 510 Mill Street NE March 21, 2022, 12:31 PM PDT. We ask that Penn and the Ivy League support us as biological women, and not engage in legal action with the NCAA to challenge these new Athlete Inclusion Policies. One spectator spoke out as transgender college swimmer Lia Thomas prepared to crush his female competitors during an NCAA finals qualifier event on Thursday. I read that and I cried, he told CNN on Friday morning at a coffee shop in Somerville, Massachusetts. Lia Thomas is scheduled to compete in three events this week at the NCAA championships: the 100-, 200- and 500-yard freestyle. Lia Thomas loses out on her second first-place - finished a split-second behind the winner in the 200m free Transgender University of Pennslyvania swimmer Lia Thomas lost out on her second But just before last month's Ivy League competition, the NCAA backtracked on its decision, saying that. DeSantis proclaimed a Florida resident the 'rightful winner. At the time, her name was Will Thomas, and she used to compete in male swimming competitions. Nancy Hogshead-Makar sees eligibility rules as vital to the continued success of womens sports. Say sorry in person after a Downing Street official was told to Thomas. Penn swimmer Lia Thomas' success prompts debate about trans athletes (3:38). The organization also proposed an open competition category.. 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. 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