Several members of the University of Pennsylvania women’s swimming team considered boycotting their final home meet of the season in protest of Lia Thomas‘ ability to compete as a woman, according to a report from The Daily Mail.
According to the report, a group of swimmers on the team wanted to make a statement regarding their opposition to the NCAA transgender policy that allows Thomas, a trans woman, to compete in women’s swimming.
“They’ve been ignored by both Penn and the NCAA, and there is a feeling among some of the girls that they should make some sort of statement, seize the opportunity while they have a spotlight on them to make their feelings about the issue known,” a source told The Daily Mail.
The swimmers ultimately decided against a boycott, fearing it would put their place on the roster for the Ivy League Championships—where 17 of the team’s 41 swimmers will compete—at risk.
“Knowing they do not have backing from the school or NCAA, they’re reluctant to jeopardize their opportunity to make the elite Ivy League squad,” the source said.
This particular group of swimmers also don’t want to cause a rift with some of their teammates that do support Thomas’ participation, according to one of The Daily Mail‘s sources.
Penn’s final home meet of the season is scheduled for January 8 against Dartmouth.
The NCAA transgender policy dictates that a trans woman can compete on a women’s team provided they’ve undergone a minimum of one year of testosterone suppression. Thomas has been undergoing treatment for the last two and a half years.
On Tuesday, former USC head coach Dave Salo called the policy “an assault on women’s sports.”
Cap.
Heads up to Swimswam staff — as a current resident of the UK, I would hesitate if the Daily Mail is the only source on an event. It’s known to be unreliable sh*t-stirring click-bait gossip.
I mean just a quick scroll down their front page, there’s the random words in all-caps in headlines and articles about Catherine Zeta-Jones in a bikini…
Dartmouth and Yale women could send a strong message if they refused to compete in the Jan. 8th meet.
They are sad, frustrated, confused, distracted and dealing as best they can. No one wants to cancel their season. They’ve weathered a canceled last year and trained for years to get to compete in college. Almost everyone is upset and thinks the situation is wrong and the people in power don’t care – but they are trying to ignore it as best they can because they also have to study, train, deal with Covid and have some semblance of a college experience.
They are just hoping at some point that true leaders will stand up and make changes.
I know many of them personally – this is not just hearsay.
Lia Thomas’s teammate A.K. went from probably Ivy champ in the 500 free to finishing a lap and a half behind.
Thomas’s teammates also have insight into how Thomas is handling the situation.
They get a say.
They should go through with this protest!! Lia Thomas swimming with the woman is unfair and simply ridiculous. People can speak out all they want, but actions speak louder than words. This must stop!!!
you’ve exceeded your exclamation mark quota for 2021.
And 2022!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Daily Mail is generally sensationalistic rubbish, so honestly this just sounds like a couple swimmers had the idea and “leaked” it to the Daily Mail, who they knew would run it without question. I doubt any penn swimmer seriously considered not swimming
The lack of compassion of the Penn swim team (and parents) is astounding… I’d say I’m surprised but it’s pretty inline with the quality of humans from my club team that went on to swim for Penn
Compassion for who?
Solidarity to Lia!
For what??
The several hundred comments against her, the media coverage, her own teammates walking out on her…
Choices and actions have consequences.
This should not be a consequence of coming out as trans. That’s messed up.
This isn’t a consequence of coming out as trans. This is a consequence of demanding biological women step aside and give up some of their limited space in sports for a male built body!
Do you have any idea the disparity between mens and women’s athletics? There are more scholarships for men by over 6 million dollars alone in a single collegiate institution. Male bodies obliterate the landscape and finances of sport. One more male body showing women that they are less or worse or undeserving of podiums, records and representation is what is causing this reaction.
Another day another Lia Thomas article. Actually two today. I bet we avg 4-5 a week between now and March.