2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships: Lia Thomas favorite to win 200, 500 freestyle

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The 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships kick off on Wednesday at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas will look to close out a controversial season in three individual events, in two of which Thomas ranks first in the nation. 

Thomas, a 22-year-old transgender woman, is one of 322 athletes that qualified for the men’s and women’s championships this week after securing several records at the Ivy League Championships last month with wins in the 100, 200, and 500 freestyle events. 

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Holding the top seed with a time of 4:34.06, Thomas is the favorite to win the women’s 500 free as well as the 200 free with the top time of 1:41.93. She also stands a good chance at upsetting the 100 free as the 10th seeded swimmer. 

Pennsylvania's Lia Thomas cheers for teammates competing in the 1650-yard freestyle final at the Ivy League swimming and diving championships at Harvard, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

Thomas’ dominance in the pool comes amid a heated debate on whether transgender female athletes should be allowed to compete against biological females.

The NCAA updated its transgender participation policy back in January to defer to the guidance of each sport’s governing body. The NCAA announced that its policy would become effective in March, starting with the Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.

16 OF LIA THOMAS' TEAMMATES URGE PENN, IVY LEAGUE NOT TO FIGHT NEW USA SWIMMING RULES ON TRANSGENDER ATHLETES

USA Swimming updated its policy shortly after requiring