Trans swimmer Lia Thomas finishes fifth in bid for second NCAA championship
ATLANTA — University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas failed to add a second national title at the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships on Friday, finishing fifth in the 200-yard freestyle race.
One night after becoming the first openly transgender person to win a Division I national championship, in the 500-yard free, Thomas struggled from the beginning of the race and came up more than two seconds short of completing a sweep of the two events in which she entered as the top seed. Stanford's Taylor Ruck was the winner. Thomas will contest a third event Saturday in the 100-yard freestyle.
Friday’s loss is unlikely to quell the media scrutiny and controversy surrounding Thomas’ ability to participate in the NCAA championships or whether this was a fair competition given the circumstances of her transition.
Thomas, who competed for the Penn men’s team for three seasons, started hormone therapy in 2019 to begin the process of transitioning to a woman and almost immediately began threatening Ivy League records.
Her story launched into national consciousness in December when some anonymous parents of Penn swimmers publicly circulated a letter to the conference and NCAA looking for answers.
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Earlier this year, USA Swimming changed its requirements for trans competitors, mandating three years of low testosterone levels. The NCAA declined to immediately adopt those restrictions, which would have barred Thomas from this competition, but will likely feel pressure from the public and politicians to adopt more stringent standards for trans athletes.
Several state legislatures are considering laws that would regulate trans sports participation, some of which critics claim are harmful to transgender children and discriminatory.
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Thomas, who declined to participate in the NCAA's supposedly mandatory press conference for race winners, told ESPN in a brief interview after the 500-yard win that it “means the world” to be able to compete here.
But her mere presence drew small protests outside the venue Thursday, and there was a noted lack of enthusiasm from the fans in attendance when she was introduced on the podium as the national champion.
“I try to ignore it as much as I can,” Thomas told ESPN. “I try to focus on my swimming, what I need to do to get ready for my races and try to block out everything else."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lia Thomas finishes fifth in bid for second NCAA championship
