Mick Hartley

Exciting news in the world of US collegiate swimming, as a new champion comes on the scene:

Penn’s Lia Thomas blasted the number one 200 free time and the second-fastest 500 free time in the nation on Saturday, breaking Penn program records in both events. She swept the 100-200-500 free individual events and contributed to the first-place 400 free relay in a tri-meet against Princeton and Cornell in her home pool. Penn split for the day, beating Cornell 219 to 81 but losing to Princeton, 106 to 194.

Thomas began the day with a 1:43.47 (24.6/26.2/26.4/26.1) to win the 200 free. Only half a second off the NCAA A cut, it is the second-fastest women’s 200 free time in the nation so far this season, and it would have scored in the A final at 2021 NCAA Championships. She came to the wall 6.1 seconds ahead of her teammate, Bridget O’Leary (1:49.56). Next, Thomas clocked a 49.42 to win the 100 free with the only sub-50. She then went 4:35.06 to win the 500 free by 12.9 seconds, with Penn’s Anna Sofia Kalandadze finishing second in 4:47.93. Defending Ivy champ Ellie Marquardt of Princeton was third (4:48.64). Thomas wrapped up the day anchoring Penn’s 400 free relay with 49.01; the Quakers won by 2.4 seconds over Princeton with 3:22.70….

Penn women broke pool records in the 200 free, 500 free, 1000 free, 100 breast, and 400 free.

Thomas broke the Ivy records in the 200 free (previously 1:45.15, set by Harvard’s Samantha Shelton in 2019) and 500 free (previously 4:36.37, set by Princeton’s Marquardt in 2020).

Those are some spectacular times.

Well, you know what's coming, though you wouldn't get it from the article above unless you read the comments. Yes, Lia Thomas used to compete as Will Thomas on the Quakers’ men’s team in his freshman, sophomore and junior years, took the 2020-21 season off before joining the women’s roster for a final year at university. 

Thomas told Penn Today: “Being trans has not affected my ability to do this sport and being able to continue is very rewarding.”

Apparently so. Not at all rewarding for the women he's competing against, obviously, but clearly he, and the relevant sporting authorities, don't care about that.