In Atlanta (Georgia), Lia Thomas, won the final of the women’s 500 yard freestyle (about 457 meters) on Thursday evening, under the colors of the University of Pennsylvania. The student, born male, became the first transgender swimmer to win a varsity title by finishing the final in 4’33″24, more than a second and a half ahead of Emma Weyant, second in 4′ 34″99.
Erica Sullivan, silver medalist in the 1,500 meters at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, came third in 4’35″92. Lia Thomas, who had previously competed as a man, divides public opinion in the States Critics believe she has an unfair physiological advantage, while supporters believe she should be allowed to compete freely as a woman.
Photo of the podium
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A photo published on Friday is eloquent and shakes social networks as far as Europe: Thomas, holding his trophy in his arms, discreet smile, straight on the first step of the podium; a few yards away, second Weyant, third Sullivan and fourth Brooke Forde, huddled side by side and all smiles on the third step in protest. At the edge of the pools of the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, the contrast was striking Thursday between the just polite applause for Thomas and the delirious crowd for his three pursuers.
“I try to ignore it as much as possible“, reacted the winner, assuring to be”just happy to be here trying to give the best (of herself) in the competition“. She had in fact signed the best time of the series with a time of 4’33″82 and she is one of the favorites of the 200 yards on Friday. Lia Thomas, a 22-year-old student, won the Ivy League women’s 500-yard freestyle on February 18, a competition from eight of the most prestigious American universities such as Harvard, Yale, Cornell.
Testosterone threshold
She had obtained the green light from university sports authorities, not without controversy in this very competitive environment in the United States. In February, the governing body of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming, had unveiled new guidelines providing for a stricter threshold for athletes’ testosterone levels – which it was widely believed would make it more difficult to participate. of Lia Thomas at important competitions. But the NCAA, which governs college sports, said at the time that they would not enforce those tougher rules, allowing Thomas to compete in Atlanta since March 16.
At the start of the year, Lia Thomas had been challenged within her university club. Some of his co-athletes had denounced by letter the supposed advantages linked to his morphology and asked for the strengthening of the rules for transgender athletes. In the camp opposite, 300 swimmers, active and retired, had on the contrary taken a position in favor of Thomas, including Sullivan who arrived third on Thursday.
No scientific consensus
The controversy began at the end of 2021 after very good results for Lia Thomas, who arrived this season in the women’s category after having competed in the men’s. This again raises the question of the place of these athletes, between concern for inclusion and protection of sporting equity. After the first participation in the Tokyo Olympics of a transgender athlete, in weightlifting, this is a headache for sports institutions. In November, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) passed the ball to every sport, pointing out the lack of “scientific consensus on the role of testosterone in performance in all sports“.
The controversy is also political in the United States. Several conservative states have recently passed laws to block young transgender girls from women’s sports in school. “We will prohibit men from participating in women’s competitions“, declared on January 15 the former Republican President Donald Trump, during a rally in Arizona.
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