Florida Governor Says Converted Swimmer Leah Thomas Wasn’t the “Legitimate Winner” of the NCAA Title | swimming

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis He made an announcement that a resident of his state is the “legitimate” holder of the NCAA 500-meter freestyle title won by cross swimmer Leah Thomas last week.

Thomas Made history last Thursday As the first known transgender athlete to win the US college swimming championship when she took the title in Atlanta. However, her victory caused a backlash among right-wing politicians as well as groups who oppose the participation of transgender athletes in the women’s competition.

Tuesday DeSantis, seen by many Republican competitor In the following US presidential election, Emma Wyant, a Florida resident who ran for the University of Virginia and finished second to Thomas, was declared the “legitimate winner” of the race.

DeSantis wrote: “I am determined that men do not compete against women like Emma and Yant.” in his advertisement. “…Florida rejects NCAA efforts to destroy women’s athletics, refuses to elevate NCAA ideology over biology, and attacks the NCAA in an effort to make others complicit in the lies.”

US swimming policy states that trans athletes must undergo three years of hormone replacement therapy before they are allowed to compete. Thomas is six months away from that goal but the NCAA decided not to adopt US swimming rules and allowed the adults to compete in Atlanta.

DeSantis’ announcement has no power to change last week’s result and is a continuation of policies in Florida Targeting the LGBTQ+ community. In June, signed a law The Law of Equity in Women’s Sports, which prohibits anyone considered male at birth from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. State Bill ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Also caused controversyAnd this week Orlando Pride Football Team Apologize After banning a fan banner containing the word “like me”.

Thomas received support and criticism. on Monday, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: Transgender athletes pose a safety risk to women’s sports.

“Sex cannot outperform biology. As a union president, I don’t have that luxury. It’s a luxury that other organizations that are ultimately not practical to deal with these issues have,” Ko For The Daily Telegraph. “But to me, the scientific evidence and the peer-reviewed work that we’ve done, those regulations are the right approach.”

But some of his fellow swimmers showed their support. Erica Sullivan of Texas, who finished third behind Thomas Wyant in the 500 meters freestyle, Wrote an article for Newsweek which argued that women’s sports had other, far more important issues to address.

“As a woman in sports, I can tell you that I know the real threats to women’s sport: sexual assault and harassment, inequality in pay and resources, and a lack of women in leadership. transgender “There are no girls or women anywhere on this list,” Sullivan wrote.

Wyant, who won the Olympic silver in the 400m individual medley last summer in Tokyo, has yet to comment publicly on DeSantis’ announcement. Meanwhile, Thomas chose to limit her comments to swimming.

“I’m trying to focus on swimming, what I need to do to prepare for my races and try to block everything else,” She said Thursday’s victory.