Lia Thomas: Rival critical of rules allowing transgender athlete to compete

Hungary's Reka Gyorgy has accused the National Collegiate Athletic Association of denying her a «spot in the final» of its swimming championships by allowing transgender Lia Thomas to compete.

Thomas won the women's 500-yard freestyle title, becoming the first known transgender athlete to do so.

Gyorgy missed out on a place in the consolation final by one spot.

«It hurts me,» Gyorgy reportedly said in a letter sent to the NCAA.external-link

«This is my last college meet ever and I feel frustrated.

»It feels like that final spot was taken away from me because of the NCAA's decision to let someone who is not a biological female compete."

Gyorgy, 25, competed at the Olympic Games for Hungary in 2016 and has been part of the Virginia Tech swimming team for five years.

She finished 17th in the preliminary races for the 500-yard freestyle, one place away from qualifying for the B final.

Gyorgy acknowledged that Thomas is «doing what she is passionate about and deserves that right» but said she «would like to critique the NCAA rules that allow her to compete against us».

«I'm writing this letter right now in hopes that the NCAA will open their eyes and change these rules in the future,» Gyorgy said.

«It doesn't promote our sport in a good way and I think it is disrespectful against the biologically female swimmers who are competing in the NCAA.»

American Thomas swam for the Pennsylvania men's team for three seasons before starting hormone replacement therapy in spring 2019.

She has since shattered records for her university swimming team.

USA Swimming updated its policy for elite swimmers in February to allow transgender athletes to swim in elite events, alongside criteria that aim to reduce any unfair advantage, including testosterone