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University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas sparked intense controversy after winning the NCAA Division I national title in the 500-yard freestyle on Friday, becoming the first transgender woman to win the title.
Responses to Thomas’ win poured in from across platforms following the event. While some praised the athlete for breaking barriers, others criticized her for claiming the title as a biological male.
Among the critics was former Ecuadorian Olympic swimmer Felipe Delgado who joined “Fox & Friends” Monday and called for fairness in women’s sports.
Transgender woman Lia Thomas (L) of the University of Pennsylvania stands on the podium after winning the 500-yard freestyle as other medalists (L-R) Emma Weyant, Erica Sullivan and Brooke Forde pose for a photo at the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championshipon March 17, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
“I think it’s important to state here that there was an opportunity for the NCAA to adopt more strict policies in inclusion of trans athletes, and they could’ve done that in February, but it seems as though they chose not to, or they chose to avoid litigation by changing their stance halfway through the season and causing bigger problems for themselves,” he told host Steve Doocy.
“I think that, had they adopted USA Swimming’s policies which are more strict than their own, we could have avoided a lot of the controversy that took place over the weekend and you and I could be sitting here talking about and celebrating the accomplishments by these incredible athletes,” he added.
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Delgado, who competed at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics, said the organization should have abided by USA Swimming’s guidelines since they are the “governing body of swimming in the United States.”
