The Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships are starting on March 16, and most likely, a couple of the events will be won by a man.
Will Thomas was born a male. And because sex is neither fluid nor changeable, he is still a male today and always will be.
However, Thomas now believes he is a woman and goes by the name Lia.
After swimming for three years on the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) men’s swimming team, he took a year off to go on testosterone suppressants, and most likely female hormones, to make his body appear more feminine.
This school year, Thomas returned to the UPenn swim team, but is now competing as a woman as allowed by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA).
Unsurprisingly, despite performing poorly against other men for his first three years on the swim team, Thomas has frequently bested his female competitors far more easily.
Thomas dominated the 2022 Women’s Ivy League Swimming & Diving Championships in February, winning the women’s 500-yard freestyle by seven-and-a-half seconds. He also won the 200-yard freestyle by nearly three second and the 100-yard freestyle by almost a second.
Now, Thomas will compete in the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Championships on March 16 through March 19.
According to the psych sheet (heat sheet) for the championships, Thomas is seeded first in two of the events.
He is the first seed in the women’s 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:44.06, and he is also the first seed in the women’s 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:41.93.
Thomas will also race in the women’s 100-yard freestyle, though he is seeded 10th in that event.
Last week, The Daily Citizen reported on one of Thomas’ female teammates, who spoke out against his participation in female athletics. She chose to remain anonymous out of fear of backlash.
“To allow Lia the ability to be on the women’s team … is not fair … There are categories for a reason because they make sense, and they ensure fairness,” the female athlete said.
She disclosed that when she, and several other of her female teammates, went to their coach to express concerns about Thomas sharing a locker room with them, they were told to “suck it up and deal with it.”
“I’ve been discriminated against and most of my teammates have too. And the NCAA has allowed it to happen, and it’s shameful,” she added.
The Daily Citizen will keep you updated and report on how Thomas performs during the Championships.
Related articles and resources:
Female Swimmer Speaks Out Against Male Competing in Her Sport
Ivy League Schools Don’t Understand What Females Are – And Women Pay the Price
Male Swimmer Wins Two More Women’s Races – Then Loses to a Female Who Identifies as Male
Photo from Reuters.