Lia Thomas Rival Says Trans Athletes Show 'Utter Disregard' to Women in Sport

A college swimmer who competed against Lia Thomas has accused the transgender athlete of having an "utter disregard" for women, and lacking "self-awareness."

Riley Gaines, who graduated from the University of Kentucky earlier this year, made the comments this week during an appearance on Fox News.

In March, Thomas won the NCAA Division I women's 500-yard freestyle event, as a University of Pennsylvania student, becoming the first transgender athlete to achieve this accolade.

Thomas, who was nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award by her university, competed as a male athlete during 2018 and 2019 before she began transitioning.

On May 31, during an appearance on ESPN, Thomas said the victory left her feeling "very humbled and honored," adding: "I can only hope I'm able to give other trans people the inspiration and motivation I was given."

After being played this clip on Fox News, Gaines responded: "To me hearing that—all I hear is selfishness, I hear lack of self-awareness and I hear an utter disregard and disrespect towards women, women who have dedicated their entire lives to their sport, not just one year after the year before ranking in the 500s and 600s as a biological male. That's what this was."

She continued: "If you're looking at this off sheer statistics, nothing opinionated about this, Lia Thomas, the year before when completing as Will Thomas, was ranked in the 500s at best. A year later winning a national title, being the fastest female in the country and then being nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year.

"Nothing about what I just said is an opinion and if it frustrates someone, or makes someone upset, I think that speaks volumes."

Thomas's victory sparked controversy, with fellow transgender athlete Caitlyn Jenner, who won a gold medal at the Olympics before transitioning, claiming it "wasn't fair."

Christian Ziegler, the Republican Party of Florida's vice-chair, claimed the athlete who came second to Thomas had been "robbed on national TV."

Speaking to ESPN in May, Thomas insisted trans women aren't a threat to women's sport.

She commented: "Trans women competing in women's sports does not threaten women's sports as a whole.

"The NCAA rules regarding trans women competing in women's sports have been around for 10-plus years. And we haven't seen any massive wave of trans women dominating."

Thomas insisted she had transitioned "to be happy, to be true to myself," rather than to gain "an advantage" in the pool.

In June, FINA, the world governing body for swimming, voted to ban transgender athletes from competing in elite female races if they had already been through some part of male puberty, ending Thomas's hope to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Gaines addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in August, appearing on the Dallas stage with former President Donald Trump.

There was what some commentators interpreted as an awkward moment when Trump reached over, in an apparent attempt to kiss Gaines on the cheek.

Speaking to Newsweek Debra Soh, author of The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths about Sex and Identity in Our Society, argued hormonal treatment for transgender athletes can't compensate for going through male puberty.

She said: "Regarding whether transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women's sports, hormonal therapy doesn't override the physical advantages associated with undergoing male puberty.

"The fact that this is up for debate is anti-scientific and a disgrace. Gender ideology has a stranglehold on society and women are paying the price for it."

Both Lia Thomas and Riley Gaines have been contacted for comment.

Update 12/31/22 07:00 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from Debra Soh.