Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas had a pretty dominant performance at the Ivy League Championships this week.
Thomas, who swims for the Penn women’s team, previously swam for the men’s team. She’s become a dominant force in the pool this year.
The Penn swimmer broke multiple pool records and won three titles at the Ivy League Championships this week.
Thomas won her third title, the 100m freestyle, earlier this weekend. CNN had more on the championship performance:
Thomas, a transgender woman, narrowly beat out Yale’s Iszac Henig, a transgender man, who finished in 47.82 seconds. Princeton’s Nikki Venema took third, finishing in 48.81 seconds.
Thomas and Henig embraced in the moments after the race.
Thomas’ performance inside of the pool has sparked a greater discussion about transgender athletes this year.
One thing is certain: she’s been very dominant inside of the pool this year.
🥇🥈
Lia Thomas is the @IvyLeague champion in the 500 free. Her time of 4:37.32 is a new pool record.
Catherine Buroker finishes in second.#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/ki2SQdxn6Q
— Penn Swimming & Diving (@PennSwimDive) February 17, 2022
The NCAA allows transgender male athletes to participate on the women’s team as long as they haven’t had hormone therapy. Transgender women’s athletes are able to participate on the women’s team if they have taken hormone replacement therapy for at least a year.
At times this year, Thomas has been far greater than her competition inside of the pool.
.@ESPN: “You can see the …powerful stroke of Lia Thomas where there isn’t a whole lot of movement in her legs. …it’s a much quieter stroke even though it’s more powerful than a lot of these other swimmers right now.” @SaveWomensSport @AbigailShrier @KDansky @coachblade pic.twitter.com/fOr3piBep6
— Emily Kreps (@ekreps) February 17, 2022
Thomas, a fifth-year senior, has set multiple NCAA records this year. She will be the favorite in multiple events at the NCAA Championships later this season.
For any Irish people who believe that the Lia Thomas swimming story is just something that is playing out in the US with no impact here, it’s worth pointing out that Thomas will be competing against Irish Olympian Ellen Walshe in next month’s NCAA championships pic.twitter.com/aC9pOcU3Nd
— Donnchae (@donncha_e) February 15, 2022
Thomas is eligible to compete at the NCAA Championships later this year.
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