Lia Thomas says he was ‘devastated’ over ban on men in women’s swimming: ‘It has to be the athletes deciding for themselves’

Former NCAA swimmer Lia (William) Thomas said athletes should be able to decide which gender category they compete in.

The former swimmer was infamously ranked 554th in the 200-yard freestyle for men before achieving fifth in the nation against women. Thomas was also the top-ranked swimmer in the country for the women’s category for the 500-yard freestyle, with the distinct advantage of being a man.

Thomas was the keynote speaker at this year’s HiTOPS Trans Youth Forum, a gender activist group aimed at children that describes its mission as “empowering youth with sex education, social support, and affirming communities.”

During an hour-long session, Thomas claimed athletes should self-determine which gender category they compete in, implying that it could be discriminatory if done based on an athlete’s actual biology.

“It

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