Lia Thomas: Transgender swimmer called ‘brave’ as she becomes Ivy League champion

Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was supported by University of Pennsylvania teammate Andie Myers as she became an Ivy League champion.

The 22-year-old Thomas won the women’s 500-year freestyle race at the Ivy League Championships yesterday.

She triumphed in 4 mins 37.32 secs, the best time ever recorded in the event at Harvard University’s Blodgett Pool.

Thomas was supported by Myers, who wore a transgender flag facemask during the competition.

“I want everyone at this meet to know that I support her,” Myers told ESPN. “She’s worked for all of this and she’s given up so much to transition and to be authentically herself.

“I think it’s really important and I think it’s really brave what she’s doing today.”

It was confirmed last week that Thomas would be able to compete at the Ivy Championships, despite a recent change in USA Swimming and the NCAA’s regulations on transgender athletes.

To compete, elite athletes will have to provide evidence that their prior physical development as a male does not give them a competitive advantage over their cisgender female competitors.

Athletes will also have to provide evidence that their testosterone level has been less than 5 nmol/L continuously for a period of at least 36 months.

It has been reported that Thomas started to transition in May 2019, meaning she currently falls under the USA Swimming’s testosterone level threshold by around four months.