A trans female college swimmer who once competed as a man has smashed records in women’s college competitions in the US, causing a backlash online.
Lia Thomas attends the University of Pennsylvania and during a November 20 swim meet with Cornell and Princeton smashed the 200-yard freestyle time while notching the second-fastest national time in the 500 freestyle.
Breaking Penn’s program records in both events, she topped freestyle individual races in the 100, 200, and 500-yard events and helped her team finish first in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Putting up a time of 1:43.47 in the 200-yard freestyle, the Austin, Texas, native could have secured a silver medal at the NCAA’s Women’s Championships, and her 4:35.06 showing in the 500-yard freestyle would have been good enough to clinch bronze.
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Before the pandemic, however, Lia – who will have had to complete one year of testosterone suppression treatment before making her switch – was known as Will and competed on Penn’s men’s swimming team for a full three seasons.
Competing as a man in the 2018-2019 campaign, Thomas was second-team All-Ivy League in events such as the 500-yard freestyle, 1,000 freestyle and 1,650 freestyle.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Well of course women’s records are being smashed! <a href="https://t.co/tMBrgCLkXX">https://t.co/tMBrgCLkXX</a><br><br>Lia competed as male for first three years in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NCAA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NCAA</a>.<br><br>This is not right!<br><br>We need to return to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SexBasedSports?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SexBasedSports</a>!<br><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SexNotGender?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SexNotGender</a> to preserve fairness for female athletes. <a href="https://t.co/AcDvx7MTIB">pic.twitter.com/AcDvx7MTIB</a></p>— Linda Blade (@coachblade) <a href="https://twitter.com/coachblade/status/1465517693386121217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Will “Lia” Thomas <a href="https://t.co/eiTTHuQ6IX">pic.twitter.com/eiTTHuQ6IX</a></p>— Large Marge (@largemarge777) <a href="https://twitter.com/largemarge777/status/1465746197470056450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
“Being trans has not affected my ability to do this sport and being able to continue is very rewarding,” she explained to Penn’s student newspaper in the summer.
But as news of her current form has become more widespread, some social media onlookers have reacted with anger.