Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania who previously competed as a man, broke two American women’s records on December 5.
Thomas outscored her competitors when she completed the 1,500m freestyle in 38 seconds faster than her teammate Anna Sofia Kalandaze at the Zippy Invitational in Akron, Ohio.
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According to the Washington Times, her winning time was 15:59:71 compared to the second best time of 16:37:44. Thomas also stood her ground by completing the 500 m freestyle in an almighty 4:34:06. It’s a full 14 seconds faster than her opponents.
Thomas, a transgender swimmer who previously competed as a man, must respect the rules of the NCAAA by receiving hormone treatment for a year and having herself tested regularly to prove that she does indeed meet the prescribed requirements. According to the Daily Mail, Thomas’ last competition as a man was in November 2019.
Sources: Ladbible.com, Penn Athletics
