A teammate of trans-identified male swimmer Lia Thomas has come forward to anonymously disclose that she believes Thomas colluded with another swimmer to intentionally lose the recent 100 Freestyle race.
Speaking exclusively to Outkick, a sports magazine, a University of Pennsylvania swimmer and teammate of male-to-female swimmer Lia Thomas disclosed that she believed Thomas intentionally lost the race by colluding with Yale female-to-male swimmer Iszac Henig during the January 8th race. The woman remained anonymous due to fear of backlash and concerns about “threats.”
The results of the 100 Freestyle made international headlines after Thomas lost to Henig. Henig was still competing on the women’s team because she had not yet started testosterone hormone replacement therapy.
On the baffling results of the race, the anonymous swimmer told Outkick: “Looking at [Lia’s] time, I don’t think [he] was trying … I know they’re friends and I know they were talking before the meet. I think [Thomas] let [Henig] win to prove the point that, ‘Oh see, a female-to-male beat me.’”
The swimmer went on to state that she “wouldn’t be shocked” if evidence soon came out to demonstrate her conviction was correct.
“I was on deck and said to a friend, ‘[Thomas is] literally not trying.’ You could just tell,” The swimmer said. “It was blatantly obvious. I was watching the 200 free and [Thomas] was literally keeping pace with the other girls.”
Thomas has dominated the female NCAA swimming categories since being cleared to compete earlier this year. He swam as Will Thomas with the UPenn male division for years prior to announcing he identified as female. Thomas had been competing in the male category as recently as 2019.
Since identifying as a woman, Thomas has outperformed every female he has competed against, as well as broken multiple US women’s swimming records.
Thomas’ teammates have been expressing displeasure with his appropriation of female athletic spaces, with multiple women having come out with harsh criticisms of his behavior and performance.
Just this week, it was reported that Thomas had compared himself to Jackie Robinson — the first African American player in Major League Baseball, and a pioneer of desegregated sports.
In December, Cynthia Millen, who has been an official with USA Swimming for 30 years, had stepped down in protest of Thomas’ continued participation in women’s leagues, saying: “I can’t do this … I can’t support this.”
Millen officially resigned on December 17, in the midst of preparations to officiate the US Paralympics Swimming National Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.
