It’s a story that continues to make waves… Since the fall of 2021, an American swimmer has been causing a sensation in the country’s university competitions. Lia Thomas, 23, isn’t quite like the other athletes she competes against. Before deciding to change gender, Lia was called Will and competed in the men’s swimming events for the University of Pennsylvania. “I understood that I was trans in the summer of 2018. There was a lot of uncertainty, we are in a very conservative zone, I did not know what I would be able to do, if I could continue to swim “she said in early January.
A few months later, the story of Lia Thomas came back to the fore since she had just won a prestigious competition. Last Thursday, the young transgender finished first in the women’s 500-yard freestyle final of the American University Swimming Championships in Atlanta. At the same time, she becomes the first transgender athlete to win a university title. According to information from Parisianthe public did not react particularly well to Lia’s victory, since the assistance, mainly made up of the families of the swimmers, expressed their annoyance.
Protests against Lia’s participation
The big problem revolves around the physiological advantage that Lia Thomas could benefit from, because she was a man before. Demonstrators had notably protested in front of the swimming pool demanding his expulsion before the competition. Upon leaving the pools, the swimmer reacted to the controversy: “I try to ignore it as much as possible. I try to focus on my swimming, what I need to do to prepare for my races and try to block out everything else.”