A debatable first. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas won the final of the women’s 500-yard freestyle (about 457 meters) of the American University Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta on Thursday. Lia Thomas, who represents the University of Pennsylvania, became the first transgender swimmer to win a college title (NCAA) by finishing the final in 4:33:24, more than a second and a half ahead of Emma Weyant , second in 4 min 34 sec 99. She will also be one of the favorites for the 200 yards on Friday.
Lia Thomas, who had competed as a man at Penn State, divides opinion. Some feel she has an unfair physiological advantage, while others believe she should be allowed to compete freely as a woman. Former tennis player Martina Navratilova said Lia Thomas’ victory needed an “asterisk”, and suggested creating a third category open to trans and cisgender athletes.
“I try to ignore it as much as possible,” reacted the university champion, questioned after the race on the controversy around her performances. “I try to focus on my swimming, what I need to do to get ready for my races and try to block out everything else,” she added. “It means everything to me to be here, to be with two of my best friends and teammates and to be able to compete. »
Lively debates
To be eligible, transgender college swimmers must have undergone hormone therapy for at least a year to lower their testosterone levels, to reduce their hematocrit (percentage of red blood cells in the blood), which impacts ‘endurance. But a reduced testosterone level does not change certain physical characteristics (height, shoe size, width of the pelvis).
In the United States, the debate around a possible advantage for transgender athletes is particularly virulent, especially in conservative media such as Fox News and the New York Post. A teammate Lia Thomas at Penn State University also called it an “unfair cardiopulmonary advantage.”
Did Lia Thomas crush the competition? Not completely. In 4min33s24′, she finished 1.5 seconds ahead of her runner-up. But she remains 2.5 seconds off the women’s record in this pool and 9 seconds off Katie Ledecky’s university record.