Lia Thomas, a biological man living and competing in collegiate athletics as a woman, was ignored by his female competitors after a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle final on Friday.
Fox News took a video that shows Thomas’s female competitors ignoring him after the race finished.
Fox News reported:
Video taken by Fox News Digital shows Thomas exiting the pool after her disappointing finish at the women’s national championships in Atlanta, GA. As she walks away, several swimmers pass Thomas without acknowledging her to swarm another female swimmer with hugs and audible cheers.
The audience was reportedly silent when Thomas’s name was announced before the race began and after the race results were announced.
Thomas made headlines one night before as the first male to win a women’s NCAA Division I championship when he won the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday. Thomas’s victory caused outrage among social media users and female athletes.
“It’s not about excluding transgender women from winning ever. But it is about not allowing them to win when they were not anywhere near winning as men,” said Tennis icon Martina Navratilova.
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)
However, Thomas’s supporters claim proposed laws regulating transgender athletes would harm transgender children.
Thomas, who identified as a male for the first 21 years of his life, had won no championships when competing against men.
Thomas began to live as a woman in 2019 after starting hormone therapy. Soon after, Thomas came close to shattering Ive League records set by women.
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