Lia Thomas

8 Stories

The Rules Are Changing for Transgender Swimmers

World governing body restricts participation and plans an 'open' category

(Newser) - The governing body of world swimming has approved restrictions on the participation of transgender athletes in top competitions. Only athletes who have completed transitioning by age 12 will be allowed to compete, the BBC reports. The new rules received 71% of the vote Sunday from the 152 FINA members meeting...

Lia Thomas Opens Up About Past and Future

It was a rare media appearance for the transgender swimmer

(Newser) - Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas has graduated from Penn and plans to go to law school. She also hopes to compete in the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials, according to Good Morning America. Thomas took gold in the 500-yard freestyle in March, becoming the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA...

Ron DeSantis Signs Proclamation Denying Lia Thomas Swim Victory

Florida governor says Emma Weyant, a Florida native, is the real winner

(Newser) - Lia Thomas won an NCAA Division I title last week , but not according to Ron DeSantis. The Florida governor on Tuesday signed a proclamation declaring second-place winner Emma Weyant, who grew up and graduated from high school in Florida before going on to swim for the University of Virginia, the...

Lia Thomas Scores a Big First for Transgender Athletes
Swimmer Lia Thomas
Scores a Big First

Swimmer Lia Thomas Scores a Big First

She's the first transgender athlete to win NCAA Division I title

(Newser) - Lia Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle event at the NCAA Division I women's swimming and diving championships Thursday night in Atlanta, becoming the first known transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title in any sport, WSVN reports. The University of Pennsylvania swimmer told ESPN after the race...

Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas Romps at Ivy Championships

Thomas won all four races, heads next to NCAA finals

(Newser) - Lia Thomas, the University of Pennsylvania swimmer who started competing on the women's team after transitioning to female, won all four of the races she competed in last week at the Ivy League championships, three individual (in which she also set Ivy records) plus the team relay. That means...

Teammates Don't Want Transitioned Swimmer to Compete

Letter from 16 members of Penn women's team says Lia Thomas has an unfair advantage

(Newser) - Lia Thomas' teammates have weighed in against allowing the transgender swimmer to compete on the University of Pennsylvania women's squad. A letter sent to Ivy League and school officials, which says it's from 16 unidentified team members, asked that they not challenge the NCAA's revised policy on...

US Transgender Swimmers Get Some New Rules

Panel to decide if transitioned athletes like Lia Thomas have unfair advantage at elite level

(Newser) - A panel of three medical experts will determine whether a transgender swimmer has an unfair advantage over other female competitors before they are accepted at the elite level, according to a new policy from USA Swimming . The panel will consider "prior physical development of the athlete as a male...

She Broke a Bunch of Swim Records, Now Faces Transphobia

Controversy swirls over U of Penn's Lia Thomas, who moved to women's team after transitioning

(Newser) - The debate on trans athletes participating in college sports has just been kicked up a notch after a University of Pennsylvania swimmer broke three school records and two national ones over the past month. LGBTQ advocates say the ensuing controversy has veered into transphobic waters. NBC News reports on the...

8 Stories