Lia Thomas sits out Penn's final meet of regular season with Ivy League Championships on horizon

Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce discusses the fight for fairness in women’s sports

Penn swimmer Lia Thomas was not in the pool for the Quakers on Friday night as the Ivy League team defeated West Chester University (Pa.) in their final meet of the regular season.

Thomas, a transgender swimmer who has been in the national spotlight after winning races at a blazing pace, was held out in preparation of the Ivy League Championships set for February.

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"Friday had long been a planned rest day for Lia and a number of our other top swimmers as they prepare for championship meets next month," a Penn Athletics spokesman told the Washington Times.

Lia Thomas swims for Penn. (Penn Athletics)

Without Thomas in the lineup, Penn was still able to finish off the season with a victory. Four Penn swimmers won events.

Thomas’ eligibility as she and Penn prepare for the NCAA Championships has come into question after the organization updated its transgender participation policy putting the onus on the sport’s federation to come up with guidelines.

The updated policy for the NCAA says that, by March, "Transgender student-athletes will need to document sport-specific testosterone levels beginning four weeks before their sport's championship selections. Starting with the 2022-23 academic year, transgender student-athletes will need documented levels at the beginning of their season and a second documentation six months after the first. They will also need documented testosterone levels four weeks before championship selections. Full implementation would begin with the 2023-24 academic year."

USA Swimming uses an eligibility review panel to make a decision on transgender athletes’ eligibility.