The University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas sliced through the Blodgett Pool water on Friday night at the Ivy League women's swimming championships. The meet and pool records were held by Dahlke, who was swimming the 200 yard freestyle.
It felt like a sauna in the stands, as the mixture of warmth and humidity made it feel hot. The Harvard graduate was sitting with other swimming alumni. She looked on as Thomas pulled away from the field in the final 50 yards, touching the wall in 1 minute, 43.12 seconds, 0.66 seconds ahead of the meet record, and nearly 2 seconds ahead of her pool record. By the end of the meet, Thomas' name had replaced Dahlke's on three records, including the two set in this race.
The future of swimming will be faster because of the women at the top of the NCAA.
The letter was organized by fellow Harvard alum Schuyler Bailar. The first known trans athlete to compete on a men's team was Bailar. More than 300 members of the swimming community signed a letter of support for Thomas.
I signed the letter because I believe Lia should have the same opportunity to compete in a sport she loves just like any other woman in the NCAA.
Thomas set the nation's top times in the 200 and 500 freestyle at a swim meet in Ohio in December. Her performance raised questions about fairness and inclusion. As Thomas heads to an even larger stage at the NCAA championships in Atlanta from March 16-19, there will be a unique space in this debate, one that will continue.
There were few signs of conflict over the four days of the Ivy League Championships, where Thomas was the only swimmer to win three individual events. It was there; it had to be. Some members of the swimming community had voiced their displeasure. Few athletes were willing to speak, and there was no media availability at the meet. The community of current swimmers and their families were not made aware of the frustration felt by those who felt it.
Thomas has been the target of a lot of criticism. Teammates have made anonymous comments to media outlets stating that they felt Thomas was unfairly included on the women's team. The Penn women's swimming and diving team and their families asked the Ivy League to investigate the unfair advantage that Thomas had over them, after three-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Nancy Hogshead-Makar submitted a letter to the league.
The parent of one of the swimmers said in an interview before the Ivy Championships that she didn't think her daughter should just have.
The season was characterized by attention because of the inclusion of Thomas and his success in the pool. The game of hot potato began when the NCAA changed its policy for trans athletes. The original policy required a calendar year of testosterone suppression for trans women to be eligible to compete, and it applied to all NCAA sports. The policy was phased out in favor of those developed by the national governing bodies.
What it meant for Thomas was not known. The NCAA said the reason for the policy change was to bring the organization in line with the approach taken by the International Olympic Committee. Some felt that the NCAA changes were targeted.
Ivy League executive director Robin Harris said that the publicity and success that Lia Thomas has been having elevated this issue at the NCAA.
The NCAA was sent a hot potato by USA Swimming when it announced its new policy for trans athletes. The policy applied to USA Swimming members, designated elite events, and swimmers wanting to be eligible for American records, which begins with the 13-14 age group. To compete in the women's category of USA Swimming, trans women had to present evidence that they have no competitive advantage to an independent panel for review, and to maintain a testosterone level below 5 deciles per liter for 36 months.
It would have been impossible for Thomas to compete for a national championship if the NCAA adopted those rules. She said she began hormone therapy in May of 2019.
The NCAA decided not to implement the USA Swimming policy for the 2022. Thomas would be eligible if she was in compliance with the previous NCAA rules and submitted a one-time level that proved her testosterone was under 10 micromoles per liter.
The Ivy swimming community congregated at Blodgett Pool this week under an Ivy League banner proclaiming "8 Against Hate". There was a discussion of changing rules and policies inside the pool, but it faded to the background.
Parents talked about the travel of being a swim parent with multiple children competing for multiple schools, while exchanging details in the stands of which kid was theirs. The swimmer wore a tiger onesie with an orange cowboy hat. Every night before the finals, the team chants were heard over the pool deck. The Harvard team was dancing to the chant by the end of the week. It was hard to tell if Harvard had a cowbell. There was a lot of cowbell.
There were a lot of great moments this week. Fans waved their pom- poms and cheered as Thomas and Iszac Henig turned for the wall on the final lap of the 100 freestyle race, which Thomas won. Thomas got the edge and out-touched Henig at the wall. She had been all meet, but the celebration from Thomas was the most joyful.
The crowd stood on its feet and cheered for Harvard senior Felicia Pasadyn, who was trying to break her own meet record in the 200 backstroke. The crowd roared as she established a new pool record despite coming up short. After winning the 100 fly, the junior collapsed into her teammates arms, full of emotion. The races and competition were exciting.
The argument that her inclusion was unfair was not quelled by Thomas' performance. Thomas was a part of six of the 10 meet or pool records set during the week. She will be going to the pool in Atlanta next month to try and win more titles and records. There will be more outrage.
The crowd cheered when her name was called. In the pool and on the podium, her teammates and competitors wished her well. During this week, the tension that had been following Thomas dissipated within the walls of the pool.
It lingered out of view, even though it was still there. For now.
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