“It’s a common conception that we’re all very disappointed and very frustrated with someone who has capabilities more than us women have,” said the competitor. “To be able to compete at this level and take opportunities away from other women.”
“I’ve got a teammate who did not make the final today because she was just bumped out. It’s heartbreaking to see someone who went through puberty as a male and has the body of a male be able to absolutely blow away the competition. You got into it with the mindset that you don’t have a chance.”
As reported by OutKick’s Joe Kinsey, Thomas’ record-breaking performance on Thursday also broke the spirits of fellow competitors.
“Thomas’ time of 4:33.24 was a season-best for Thomas and ended up as the top 500 freestyle time in college swimming,” Kinsey noted. “Biological female Virginia freshman swimmer Emma Weyant (4:34.99) was the unlucky competitor who finished runner-up to Thomas in the finals.”
As [Rapid Fire’s Savanah Hernandez] also reported, the Virginia Tech teammate referenced was bumped out of the 500-meter race’s final spot, in lieu of Lia Thomas’ inclusion.
“It’s hard to compete against someone with the aerobic capacity, muscle development, the body of a man,” responded the teammate. “It’s hard; it’s hard to think about it like that. It’s disappointing to see and frustrating.”
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