DeSantis: Lia Thomas is not NCAA ‘rightful winner’ [Video]

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis refused to recognize Lia Thomas as the winner of last week’s NCAA championship.
• He slammed NCAA’s policy to allow trans female athletes to compete on collegiate women’s sports teams.
• DeSantis rejected the results and declared second-placer and Florida resident Emma Weyant as the “rightful winner.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rejected transgender athlete Lia Thomas’ victory at an NCAA women’s swimming championship and proclaimed second-placer Emma Weyant, a Florida resident, as the “rightful winner.”

Thomas, from the University of Pennsylvania, was the subject of controversy when she had a record-breaking season competing on the female sports team. Last week, she became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA championship when she placed first in Thursday’s 500-yard freestyle race at the Division I finals in Atlanta.

Thomas finished at 4 minutes, 33.24 seconds, less than two seconds earlier than Weyant’s time of 4:34.99. Thomas’ time still trails that of Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky’s 2017 record by about nine seconds.

DeSantis proclaimed, “The NCAA’s actions serve to erode opportunities for women athletes and perpetuate a fraud against women athletes as well as the public at large. Florida rejects the NCAA’s efforts to destroy women’s athletics, disapproves of the NCAA elevating ideology over biology and takes offense at the NCAA trying to make others complicit in a lie.”

According to NCAA policy, trans female athletes who have undergone testosterone suppression treatment for at least a year are allowed to compete on collegiate women’s sports teams. Thomas competed on Penn men’s swim team for three years and was on hormone therapy for more than 2 1/2 years before competing on the women’s team in November.

Several bills have been filed in recent years in an attempt to restrict trans rights. Some measures block trans students from competing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity.

Florida’s version of the law was signed by DeSantis last year.

Thomas’ wins in the women’s team prompted several criticisms from conservative groups, elite swimmers such as Olympic champion Michael Phelps, and some of her teammates.

Thomas brushed off the criticisms and defended trans women’s rights to compete. She stated, “I don’t look into the negativity and the hate. I am here to swim.”

DeSantis’ proclamation follows the passing of the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill in the Florida House and Senate, which bars “discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity” at school. DeSantis is expected to sign the said bill.

Source: Aol.com