Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer from the University of Pennsylvania who made headlines this season for competing on the women’s team, placed last in the 100-yard freestyle final at the NCAA women’s swimming championships in Georgia on Saturday night.
Thomas has been at the center of the ongoing discussion about transgender women in sports due to her success in women’s swimming. Despite this, former tennis superstar Martina Navratilova believes that Thomas’ achievements should be acknowledged with an asterisk.
Martina Navratilova suggested that the NCAA consider adding an asterisk to Thomas’ records as she expressed her opinion on the matter. However, she clarified that she is not against transgender women winning competitions.
Navratilova recommended that the NCAA establish a separate category for athletes who identify as women but are unable to compete against cisgender women.
Earlier this month, Thomas made history by becoming the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship. She clinched the women’s 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:33.24.
With the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris approaching in two years, Thomas is anticipated to take part in the qualifying rounds.
