Lia Thomas | |
|---|---|
 Thomas in 2022 | |
| Born | May 1999 (age 25) |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA) |
| Known for | First openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship |
| Sports career | |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[1] |
| Sport | Swimming |
| Strokes | Freestyle sprint Distance |
| College team | University of Pennsylvania |
Lia Catherine Thomas[2] (born May 1999) is an American swimmer. She was the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship, having won the women's 500-yard freestyle event in 2022, before being barred from competing in women's events by World Aquatics. Thomas's career has been a part of the public debate about transgender women in women's sports.[3][4][5]
- ^ Jenkins, Sally. "Lia Thomas's Swimming Is Getting Swamped in Others' Fears". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ Sanchez, Robert (March 3, 2022). "'I Am Lia': The Trans Swimmer Dividing America Tells Her Story". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
- ^ Witz, Billy (January 24, 2022). "As Lia Thomas Swims, Debate About Transgender Athletes Swirls". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ Levenson, Eric (February 23, 2022). "How an Ivy League swimmer became the face of the debate on transgender women in sports". CNN. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ Ingle, Sean (December 13, 2021). "Sport's trans issue is here to stay. But at last, the debate is starting to change". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.