Penn’s Thomas Becomes First Transgender Woman To Win NCAAs
Mar 18, 2022, 10:01 AM
CAMBRIDGE, MA - FEBRUARY 19: University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas (C) poses on the podium after winning the 100 yard freestyle, Yale University swimmer Iszac Henig finished (L) second, and Princeton University swimmer Nikki Venema (R) finished third during the 2022 Ivy League Womens Swimming and Diving Championships at Blodgett Pool on February 19, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
ATLANTA (AP) — Lia Thomas took control in the final 100 yards of the 500-yard freestyle to make history Thursday as the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship.
Thomas, the University of Pennsylvania senior who earlier swam at Penn as a male, had a season-best time of 4 minutes, 33.24 seconds. Virginia’s Emma Weyant was second at 4:34.99.
Penn’s Lia Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships.
Thomas becomes the first known transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship in any sport.
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The race was close until the final 100 yards, with Weyant and Erica Sullivan of Texas pushing Thomas for the lead.
As was the case in Thursday morning in a preliminary win, Thomas was stronger at the end. She won the preliminary race at 4:33.82.
