ATLANTA – Lia Thomas took control of the last 100 yards of the 500-yard freestyle to make history Thursday as the first transgender woman to win an NCAA Swimming Championship.
Thomas, the University of Pennsylvania senior who entered the NCAA Ladies Swimming and Diving Championships as the top seed, had a season-best time of 4 minutes, 33.24 seconds.
“I did not have much expectation for this meeting,” said Thomas, a former male swimmer for Pennsylvania. “I was just happy to be here and run and compete the best.”
Virginia’s Emma Weyant finished second in 4: 34.99.
The race was tight until the final 100 yards, with Weyant and Erica Sullivan of Texas pushing Thomas for the lead. The three swim in lanes three through five, contributing to the drama, with Thomas in the middle.
As with a preliminary victory on Thursday morning, Thomas was stronger in the end. She won the lead at 4: 33.82.
Sullivan finished third at 4: 35.92. Stanford’s Brooke Forde was fourth at 4: 36.18.
Thomas is also the top seed in the 200 Freestyle Friday and is the 10th seed in the 100 Freestyle Saturday.
Thomas has followed the NCAA and Ivy League rules since she began her transition in 2019 by starting hormone replacement therapy.
The inclusion of the transgender swimmer has created controversy, including in sports. There were less than 10 protesters outside the Georgia Tech facility, and a few carried banners reading “Save Women’s Sports” in the stands.
“I try to ignore it as much as I can,” Thomas said. “I try to focus on my swimming .. and just try to block everything else.”
Thomas spoke with ESPN immediately after the race, but would not attend the official news conference, as requested by the NCAA. Because participation is required, possible action could come after evaluation by the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Committee.
Tennessee’s Julia Mrozinski won the consolation final with a time of 4: 37.35. Northwestern Lola Mull finished second.
Add Comment