The NCAA has clarified that rumors circulating on social media about the reallocation of medals in a women’s swimming race are false. The false claims originated from an article on a satirical news website. Contrary to the rumors, the results of the race remain final.
Lia Thomas and Riley Gaines, who represented the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Kentucky respectively, tied for fifth place in the women’s 200-yard freestyle race at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. The NCAA spokesperson, Greg Johnson, confirmed that the results of the race stand as they are. The NCAA has not made any decision to transfer medals from one athlete to another.
It’s essential to note that Lia Thomas made history at the championship by winning the 500-yard freestyle race, becoming the first transgender woman to achieve such a feat in NCAA swimming. Riley Gaines did not participate in this particular race.
It is worth mentioning that the NCAA awards trophies for these races, not medals. The false claims circulating on social media do not specify which awards the NCAA would allegedly be reallocating, further discrediting their credibility.
Riley Gaines, who has openly expressed her opposition to transgender athletes participating in women’s sports, spoke at a House Oversight subcommittee hearing to voice her concerns. The hearing discussed proposed changes to Title IX by the Department of Education, including a clarification that the law applies to all forms of discrimination, including sexual orientation and gender identity.
Lia Thomas began her transition in 2019 and started hormone replacement therapy while swimming for the Penn men’s team. After taking a year off from school, she joined the women’s team for the 2021-2022 season. Her success and inclusion in women’s sports have sparked debates about the fairness of competition between transgender women and cisgender women.
The NCAA’s clarification reaffirms that Lia Thomas and Riley Gaines tied for fifth place in the women’s 200-yard freestyle race, and no reallocation of medals has occurred.
