The swimming world was rocked this week as the NCAA officially stripped Lia Thomas of her championship titles and records following a sweeping federal policy change. Thomas, who made history in 2022 as the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I women’s swimming championship, now finds her achievements erased from the record books.
The decision stems from an executive order signed by President Trump in early 2025, which barred transgender women from competing in female sports categories at federally funded institutions. The University of Pennsylvania, where Thomas competed, has agreed to remove her name from individual records for the 2021-2022 season, though her participation in relay events may still stand.
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights determined that allowing Thomas to compete violated Title IX protections for cisgender women athletes. As part of the settlement, UPenn will issue formal apologies to swimmers who competed against Thomas, acknowledging they may have faced an unfair disadvantage.
The university maintained it followed NCAA guidelines at the time but recognized the “competitive inequities” created by those policies. This reversal has reignited heated debates about fairness versus inclusion in sports, with advocates on both sides digging in their heels. While Thomas’s medals may be gone, her impact on the national conversation about gender and athletics remains undeniable.
