Il Messaggiere - Transgender US swimmer wins Ivy League 500-yard women's freestyle

NYSE - LSE
RBGPF 100% 61.75 $
CMSC -0.53% 24.65 $
RYCEF 0.27% 7.42 $
BCC -2.78% 137.9 $
JRI -0.53% 13.15 $
CMSD -0.68% 24.87 $
RELX -1.13% 47.63 $
RIO -0.63% 64.95 $
SCS -0.93% 12.89 $
NGG -1.45% 67.03 $
BCE -0.45% 33.39 $
VOD -1.35% 9.63 $
BP 0.44% 31.47 $
AZN -1.06% 77.44 $
BTI -0.73% 34.25 $
GSK -1.02% 38.16 $
Transgender US swimmer wins Ivy League 500-yard women's freestyle
Transgender US swimmer wins Ivy League 500-yard women's freestyle

Transgender US swimmer wins Ivy League 500-yard women's freestyle

Transgender US swimmer Lia Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle race at the 2022 Ivy League women's championships Thursday, defying critics who have called for her to be barred from competing.

Text size:

Thomas has dominated US collegiate women's swimming recently as a student athlete at Penn State, where just a few years ago she competed as a man.

Her case has divided opinion, with some arguing she has an unfair physiological advantage while others say she should be allowed to compete freely as a woman.

This month the governing body of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming, unveiled new guidelines which include a more stringent threshold for athletes' testosterone levels -- widely seen as making it harder for Thomas to be able to compete in major meets.

But she got the go-ahead to compete in the prestigious Ivy League championships, and came in first place with a time of 04 mins 37.32 secs Thursday -- a record for Harvard University's Blodgett Pool.

She was among three swimmers from Penn State to make the finals.

Thomas beamed and flashed a peace sign as she received the medal.

Also competing Thursday was fellow transgender swimmer Iszac Henig, who won first place in the women's 50-yard freestyle race.

P.Russo--IM