Lia Thomas has become the first transgender woman to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) swimming title \u2013 the highest US national college swimming title \u2013 and has since become a target for sports stars, politicians, activists, her competitors, and even some of her teammates\u2019 parents who argue against her right to compete and in some cases her gender itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Tuesday Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the result “undermined the integrity of the competition” and accused the NCAA of “taking efforts to destroy women’s athletics”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe also made remarks regarding the “fragility” of women’s sport after Thomas’ win, emphasising the importance of scientifically sound regulations around transgender athletes competing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas has faced repeated attacks from major media outlets, including Allison Pearson’s claims in The Telegraph<\/em><\/a> <\/em>that photos of the athlete make her “wince” and that she is comparable to the “testosterone pumped frauleins of the old East Germany”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Thomas\u2019 participation is in line with the NCAA’s stringent rules and her swimming times are on par with cis women, according to data analysis by The Independent<\/em><\/a>. Whilst her times do make her an exceptional athlete, Thomas’s 500 yard time is over nine seconds behind Katie Ledecky’s NCAA record in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n