Lia Thomas’ teammates 'support her' but still want her barred from NCAA championships

Article content

Over a dozen teammates of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas want school officials to ban her from competing at next month’s NCAA championships.

The 16 members of the University of Pennsylvania women’s swimming team argued that Thomas should not be allowed to compete in women’s competitions, according to a letter obtained by the Washington Post.

The letter was sent to school and Ivy League officials by former Olympic swimmer Nancy Hogshead-Maker and the chief executive of Champion Women, a non-profit which provides legal advocacy for girls and women.

Thomas, who previously competed for three years on the men’s team, began competing on the women’s team in 2020.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

On Tuesday, USA Swimming unveiled new guidelines which include stricter rules surrounding testosterone.

Now, a three-person panel of independent medical experts will determine whether the swimmer’s prior physical development as a man gives the athlete a competitive advantage over her cisgender female competitors.

The swimmer must also show the concentration of testosterone in her blood has been less than five nanomoles per litre continuously for at least 36 months.

According to the Post, Thomas will not have to meet the standards but, rather, will have to submit documentation to the NCAA’s Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports that “shows she has undergone at least one year of testosterone-suppression treatment and provide proof of a one-time serum testosterone level that falls below the maximum allowable level for the sport.”

While many of Thomas’ teammates support her journey, there are those who believe she should not be allowed to compete in women’s competition, saying, “the biology of sex is a separate issue from someone’s gender identity” in athletics.

“Biologically, Lia holds an unfair advantage over competition in the women’s category,” the letter read, noting that Thomas’ rankings went from 462nd as a male swimmer to 1st as a female.

“If she were to be eligible to compete against us, she could now break Penn, Ivy, and NCAA Women´s Swimming records; feats she could never have done as a male athlete,” the letter pointed out.

The swimmers, who were not identified by name in the letter, added that they were warned against speaking out against Thomas or risk being kicked off the team.

“We support Lia’s mental health, and we ask Penn and the Ivy League to support ours as well,” the letter noted.

“Sport is competitive by definition, and Lia’s wins, records, and honors should not come at our expense, the women who have worked their entire lives to earn a spot on the Penn Women’s Swimming Team.”

Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis.