President Trump delivers the final blow: America's transgender swimmer loses her last stronghold, and her record is invalidated.

According to U.S. media reports, Lia Thomas, the once-hot topic and transgender swimmer, has now lost the last stronghold that once supported him. The University of Pennsylvania, where he studied, has agreed not to allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports events anymore.

In 2022, Lia Thomas competed in the NCAA Championships women's events and emerged as the champion.

Today, the University of Pennsylvania has apologized to all affected female athletes regarding Thomas's participation in the women's competition and announced that it will restore the competition records and rightful titles of the players Thomas defeated. In response, Thomas will have all honors earned in the women's division revoked.

Media reports say that Penn will send a personalized apology letter to each affected female athlete.

In 2019, Lia Thomas, a male-varsity athlete studying at Penn, began transitioning via hormone therapy—but even then, Thomas was still required to compete on the men’s team.

Determined to compete on the women's team, he decided to take a year off from school just to keep his eligibility intact.

In 2021, Lia Thomas began competing on the women's team after already meeting the NCAA tournament's requirements regarding hormone regulations.

After a brief period of adjustment and struggle, Thomas began to showcase her unique strengths. In March 2022, during the NCAA Division I championships, Thomas delivered her finest performance, clinching the women’s 500-yard freestyle title in a time of 4:33.24. Notably, Vyanthe, the silver medalist in the women’s 400-meter individual medley at the Tokyo Olympics, finished second.

At the awards ceremony, several female athletes refused to pose for a photo with Thomas, reflecting the stance of U.S. female swimmers regarding transgender competitors participating in the sport.

But Thomas, who personally felt great and still eager for more, applied to law school after completing his undergraduate degree, aiming to compete in the Paris Olympic qualifying trials. The World Aquatics Federation was among the first to deliver a firm "no," refusing to allow transgender athletes to participate in women’s competitions.

However, it was the current president, Donald Trump, who dealt the most severe blow to Penn and Thomas.

He signed a presidential decree in February of this year banning transgender athletes from competing in women's events, and launched investigations into institutions like the University of Pennsylvania that had allowed transgender athletes to participate. In March, he announced the suspension of federal funding for Penn. As a result, this wave of backlash in U.S. sports came to an abrupt halt.

Source: NetEase NewsPowerful Meng Wei

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