GOING FOR GOLD

Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas Aims for 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials

The University of Pennsylvania swim team athlete has spoken out about her Olympic ambition in the face of controversy.

Transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas says she hopes to swim in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials despite controversy around her success. “I intend to keep swimming,” Thomas said in an interview broadcast Tuesday on Good Morning America. “It’s been a goal of mine to swim at Olympic trials for a very long time, and I would love to see that through.” Thomas, who won gold in the 500-yard freestyle at the Women’s NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships in March, has been at the heart of a heated public debate about trans athletes in sport, with some (including 16 of her Penn teammates) arguing she should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports. Thomas competed on Penn’s men’s swim team for four years before taking part in the female NCAA championships in 2022. After graduating from Penn in May, Thomas says she plans to attend law school as well as hopefully swimming in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. “Trans women are not a threat to women's sports,” she added.