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. Lia Thomas is a transsexual woman. [2] She graduated in 2022 and plans to attend law school, pursuing a career as a civil rights attorney. In 2017, she began studying at the University of Pennsylvania, from which she graduated in May 2022. This is deadnaming and disrespectful. 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. Previously, Lia competed for the school's men's team as Will Thomas for 3 years before joining in a women's team. It's going to be OK. We're going to get through this together. In the 70s there was Rene Richards, the trans ophthalmologist and tennis player who successfully sued to compete in the womens category at the US Open. 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. The race video was shared widely on social media and showed just how. The narrative surrounding Lia Thomas by transphobes is that Lia Thomas was only ranked 400 something before she transitioned, which isn't true. 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 . 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. 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. Fierce Debate In the 2016-2017 season, Thomas's 2021-2022 time would have ranked her 12th. Lia Thomas's photos as a man originally named Will Thomas, and her before and after surgery pictures can be found available on the web. Now, since changing his name to Lia and identifying as a woman, she is ranked number 1.pic.twitter.com/2sihyfxoKs. She started on hormone replacement therapy in May 2019 and came out as trans that fall, yet she still had to compete on the mens team. CNNs Elizabeth Wolfe contributed to this report. Thomas' performance inside of the pool has sparked a greater discussion about transgender athletes this year. 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. They spoke for a few minutes until Thomas took off to get back to her work. She had more laps to swim. World swimmings governing body has effectively banned transgender women from competing in womens events, starting Monday. 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. 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. In the finals for the 100 freestyle, Thomas placed eighth out of eight competitors in 48.18 seconds, finishing last. Luca's Restaurant Somerset, University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas is a three-time Ivy League champion. "[37], In July 2022, the University of Pennsylvania nominated Thomas for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Award,[38] one out of 577 athletes nominated for this award. I don't know what to say. 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. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas reportedly made an arrogant comment about how "easy" one of her races against female opposition was. Lia Catherine Thomas (born 1999 or 2000)[2] is an American swimmer. Updated In that interview, she nodded in the direction of the controversy but did not engage. Lia Thomas, a swimmer from the University of Pennsylvania, will compete this week to become the first Division One openly transgender athlete to be crowned a national champion. Its not healthy for me to read it and engage with it at all, and so I dont.. NCAA's 'sport-by-sport approach to transgender participation' stirs debate. Thomas received full support from her coach and several of her teammates on the swim team The swimmer complied with NCAA rules and underwent a year of testosterone suppression treatment. All Rights Reserved. Lia Thomas got in the water on Thursday and dominated his female competitors as he cruised to an NCAA championship win. She has followed National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Ivy League regulations since she began her transition in 2019 by starting hormone replacement therapy. She has been competing since then. [5][4][9] During the 20182019 season, Thomas recorded the top university men's team times in the 500 free, 1000 free, and 1650 free. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. [2][5] On March 23, after Indiana governor Eric Holcomb vetoed a legislative ban on the participation of transgender girls in school sports for girls, The New York Times wrote, "Sports participation by transgender girls and women has become an increasingly divisive topic among political leaders and sports sanctioning groups, which have struggled with the issue in a way that respects transgender athletes and addresses concerns some critics have raised about competitive fairness" and reported that Utah governor Spencer Cox, at a press conference before his veto of similar legislation, stated to the transgender community, "We care about you. Newsweek analysed the last 10 seasons' fastest times in the women's 500-yard freestyle, as well as the fastest times in the NCAA championship women's 500-yard freestyle for the last decade, using data from SwimCloud. She recently rose to prominence after destroying the majority of female university records. Because there are so few elite trans athletes, there is very little hard data comparing performance between transgender athletes and cisgender athletes. Your IP: After a few seconds of trying and horrendous pain, I finally yelled for help, and the lifeguard on duty was quickly. [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". Penn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas beat out a silver medal Olympian to win the 500 freestyle national championship. She would have finished first again in 2021, as Paige Madden won that with a time of 04:34.61. British Olympic swimmer and silver medallist Sharron Davies also argued Thomas shouldn't be allowed to compete in female swimming. Thomas's best time in the 2021/2022 season was 04:33.24. 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. At the end of the race, Thomas is the only one even in the picture. University of Pennsylvania. 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. It was a lot of unease, about basically just feeling trapped in my body. 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. 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. lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after. Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b73623984e6c90 [14][15] Thomas's event progression peaked in 2019 for distance swimming, with a drop in times during the 202122 season. 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. Austin, TX. Read the deep dive on Trans swimmer Will Thomas at ESPN Lia can be anything she wants, but it's garbage to think it's fair for her to compete against the other girls in women's sports - and she knows that. 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. 16.1k Likes, 1,435 Comments - NPR (@npr) on Instagram: "University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas is a three-time Ivy League champion. Lia Thomas Before And After Photos March 20, 2022 by Vim Buzz Local Correspondent Transgender swimmer of the University of Pennsylvania is a 22-year-old young lady known for being good at swimming and representing the various schools she has attended in the Olympics. "[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. One man exclaimed "cheater" seconds before a 500Y race began, in a dig at the University of Pennsylvania swimmer. 2017. Transgender women may have a disadvantage in some sports, given their heavier musculature, said. Swimming is the latest sport to become embroiled in discord but there are some signs of courteous, informed discussion too. 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. [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. 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. Thomas arrived to Penn in 2017 and quickly made a mark on the mens team as a freestyle distance swimmer in the 500-yard, 1,000-yard and 1,650-yard races. Phelps is one of many athletes and regulatory bodies struggling to figure out how to include and accommodate transgender athletes in an elite field where tenths of seconds can mean the difference between winning and losing. Pool and open water. Her hair nestled alongside the medal around her neck as a blue University of Pennsylvania jacket hung from her broad swimmers shoulders. "[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. One of her most vocal supporters said there was no room for compromise. In the 2016-2017 season, Thomas's 2021-2022 time would have ranked her 12th. At the age of 5, the passion to swim popped up and so started training. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Lia Catherine Thomas (born 1998/1999) is an American swimmer and student at the University of Pennsylvania. [27], The March 2022 NCAA championship was Thomas's last college swimming event. Feb 3, 2022. University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who is transgender, broke multiple records for the school's women's swim team at the Zippy Invitational over the weekend. Please wait, loading. Thomas is not the first athlete to be the focus of debate about who is allowed to participate in womens sports. A 22-year-old" (Getty/ Hunter Martin). [7], Towards the end of high school, Thomas began to question her gender identity. 3 min read A former Olympian and Virginia Tech female swimmer blasted. 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. Thomas's best time in the 2021/2022 season was 04:33.24. 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. One spectator directly called out transgender swimmer Lia Thomas before he crushed his female competitors. 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. 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. It's the first season this announcement has been played before events, said Ivy League spokesperson Lia Thomas (right) and a University of Pennsylvania teammate ahead of the 500-yard freestyle race at. Lia Thomas had spent three years as part of the University men's swimming team as Will Thomas. 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 20212022 season, those ranks are now, when competing in the women's team, 5 in the 200 freestyle, first in the 500 freestyle, and eight in the 1650 freestyle. Thomas, 22, kicked off the three-day event, held at the University of Akron, strong in the preliminaries Friday. Thomas first launched into the public eye with a stunning performance at the Zippy Invitational in Ohio in December. As. 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. According to Sports Illustrated, she has applied for law school and plans to swim at the 2024 Summer Olympics trials. "[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. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas completes historic win, National Education Association Political Contributions. the right thing and admit that they were wrong & that much more has to go into this before people like Lia can. In March 2022, she became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship in any sport after winning the womens 500-yard freestyle event. Its a really honestly I dont know what to say, he said, stumbling over his words. Some of these examples have become particularly high-profile. Thomas also . Lia Thomas, supported and criticized by the swimming world. 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. Nov 28. The University of Pennsylvania swimmer became the first transgender athlete to win a National Collegiate. MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 10: A view of a USA Swimming flag on Day Three of the TYR Pro Swim Series at Mission Viejo at Marguerite Aquatics Center on April 10, 2021 in Mission Viejo, California. Despite the out of pool controversy, Thomas showed no outward signs of stress or frustration at the Ivy Leagues womens swimming championships this week. We love you. Its about policing womens bodies, he said. [2][8] After her freshman year at college, during the summer of 2018, she came out as transgender to her family. She has some people hearing the "Jaws" theme in their head because she's trans and swims fast. At a meet including Princeton and Cornell on Nov. 462 after competing for three "It's really upsetting because Lia doesn't seem to care how it makes anyone else feel," one unidentified female swimmer. [54] On March 22, Florida governor Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation declaring second-place finisher Emma Weyant the "rightful winner" of the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Women's 500-yard Freestyle,[55] although he does not have the authority to select the winner of the NCAA championship. I am a 18-year-old teen who loves sports ? [16], In the 20182019 season she was, when competing in the men's team, ranked 554 in the 200 freestyle, 65 in the 500 freestyle, and 32 in the 1650 freestyle. USA Swimming then released a set of stricter guidelines that require elite trans woman athletes to have three years of hormone replacement therapy and to prove to a panel of medical experts that they do not have a competitive advantage over cisgender women. 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. [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. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images). In her freshmen year, she posted the 6th fastest time in the men's 1000 freestyle. Felt Lined Silverware Drawer Inserts, [17][18] According to an archived page of the swimming data website Swimcloud, Thomas was ranked 89th among male college swimmers for that season. 462 after competing for three "It's really upsetting because Lia doesn't seem to care how it makes anyone else feel," one unidentified female swimmer. Among the people who have spoken out against Thomas competing are former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner. 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