Ex-Kentucky swimmer blasts Lia Thomas’ NCAA award nomination

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Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines has called the NCAA’s Woman of the Year award “worthless” after transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was named a nominee for the prize.

Responding to a tweet by sports journalist Clay Travis, Gaines slammed the nomination, stating it is “another slap in the face of women,” adding fuel to the ongoing debate about whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in sports against biological women.

“Being the real girl in that photo and also University of Kentucky’s nominee for NCAA WOTY, this is yet another slap in the face to women. First a female national title and now nominated for the pinnacle award in collegiate athletics. The @NCAA has made this award worthless,” Gaines tweeted.

In a second tweet, Gaines said the Women of the Year award — which is NCAA’s top honour — “combines athletic performance with academics, service and character.”

“What character has Thomas shown other than sheer selfishness and entitlement? The disrespect and disregard for the other female athletes in Thomas’ interviews is eye opening,” she tweeted.

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Fox News reported Gaines was also nominated for the same award. The University of Kentucky swimmer retired from competitive swimming after winning three conference titles and breaking two records in the Southeastern Conference, among other distinctions.

At this year’s NCAA championships in swimming, Gaines placed second behind Thomas, who won the 200-yard freestyle event.

Each school nominates one athlete for the Woman of the Year honour. The University of Pennsylvania nominated Thomas.

The NCAA identifies the top 30 nominees. The group is then whittled down to nine finalists, in which a winner is selected for the award.

Thomas’ nomination comes in light of FINA — the governmental body behind swimming internationally — approving new policies for transgender swimmers, including the “gender inclusion policy” which only allows swimmers who transitioned before the age of 12 to participate in women’s competitions.