A former Olympic swimmer and college athlete claims that she lost her spot in the NCAA finals because transgender female swimmer Lia Thomas beat her in a 500-meter free swim.
Reka Gyorgy, a former Olympic swimmer for Hungary at the 2016 Rio Olympics and student at Virginia Tech, placed 17th in the March 17 Division I swim meet. Now, Gyorgy says that Thomas took her final chance to compete in a college meet.
“It feels like that final spot was taken away from me because the NCAA decided to let someone who is not a biological female compete,” Gyorgy said in a statement.
WOW: Virginia Tech swimmer Reka Gyorgy says her finals spot was stolen from her by Lia Thomas because of “the @NCAA‘s decision to let someone who is not a biological female to compete.” pic.twitter.com/vrtEfqZ0LW
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) March 20, 2022
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Gyorgy notes that she “respect[s] and fully stand[s] with Lia Thomas” and believes that Thomas “is no different than me or any other D1 swimmer who has woken up at 5 AM her entire life for morning practice.” She notes that Thomas has been equally as competitive and likely put as much effort into her work as anyone else there at the event. However, she still took issue with the NCAA’s decision to allow Thomas to compete in a women’s sporting event.
“I know you could say I had the opportunity to swim faster and make the top 16,” Gyorgy said. “But this situation makes it a bit different, and I can’t help but be angry or sad.”
Gyorgy then argued that “every event that transgender athletes competed in was one spot taken away from biological females throughout the meet.” She directed her disappointment at the NCAA, claiming it knew what was coming and that Thomas’s presence distracted from other notable developments at the swim meet. “This week has been more about reporters, media and division in our sport than things like two women going under 21 seconds in the 50 freestyle, three women going under 50 seconds in the 100 butterflies, and the first women IN HISTORY to go under 48 seconds in the 100 backstroke.”
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“It is the result of the NCAA and their lack of interest in protecting their athletes,” Gyorgy concluded. She asked that the college organization consider the other women competing and “make the right changes for our sport and for a better future in swimming.”
Thomas’s victory on Thursday has become a spark of controversy in the swimming and sports community. Tennis player Martina Navratilova recommended putting an asterisk next to Lia Thomas’s name in the record to note her transgender identity.
