Michael Phelps, who is indisputably the best swimmer of all time, and also holds the title of the most successful Olympic athlete in history, recently generated a new controversy when he referred to Lia Thomas, a young transsexual swimmer, who competes on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) circuit.
“I think this brings us back to the organizing committees, because it has to be a level playing field. That is something we all need. Because that’s what sports are. For me, I don’t know where this is going to go. I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Phelps told CNN.
He emphasized that Thomas, from the women’s team at the University of Pennsylvania, had not competed under fair conditions throughout his career and compared the current controversy with that surrounding the issue of doping.
▶️ CONTROVERSY | 🔵
Lia Thomas, a trans swimmer who has broken records since competing in the women’s category, was beaten by Iszac Henig, a swimmer in the process of transitioning from a woman to a man.
This reopened the debate on the competitive advantage of transgender athletes. pic.twitter.com/dd2zqYKkr9
— DELPY 📱🎬 (@delpynews) January 13, 2022
We should all be comfortable with who we are in our own skin, but I think all sports should be played on equal terms.
The winner of 13 Olympic Games gold medals (he has 28 medals in total) added: “We should all be comfortable with who we are in our own skin, but I think all sports should be played on equal terms.”
Lia Thomas is 22 years old and for three years she competed in the men’s tournaments, until 2019, when she changed her sex.
NCAA statutes state that transgender athletes can compete as women if they have undergone a minimum of one year of testosterone suppression.
Since his arrival in the women’s branch, Thomas has surpassed a series of marks.
SPORTS
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