Lia Thomas Offered 'Full Support' of Several Penn Swim Team Members in Statement

Teammates of transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas offered her support in a statement Tuesday, via ESPN's Katie Barnes:

"We want to express our full support for Lia in her transition. We value her as a person, teammate, and friend. The sentiments put forward by an anonymous member of our team are not representative of the feelings, values, and opinions of the entire Penn team, composed of 39 women with diverse backgrounds."

"We recognize this is a matter of great controversy and are doing our best to navigate it while still focusing on doing our best in the pool and classroom."

A Penn spokesperson told Barnes the statement represented "several members" of the team, although it was not signed.

Thomas' success in the pool this season has led to both publicity and criticism. She set records at the Zippy Invitational in December and is among the nation's best in the 200-yard, 500-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle events.

The statement comes following anonymous public criticism from members of the Penn swim and dive community.

One Penn swimmer told Shawn Cohen of the Daily Mail that she feels "uncomfortable" in the locker room and it's "definitely awkward."

"Women are now third-class citizens," an anonymous teammate told Christopher Tremoglie of the Washington Examiner. 

Others outside of the program have also raised concerns, including three-time Olympic gold medalist Nancy Hogshead-Makar. 

"Her domination of the 'women’s sports' category is doing nothing to engender greater empathy for inclusive practices throughout society for the trans community," she said of Thomas in a post for Swimming World Magazine.

The latest statement from her teammates provides a counter to these arguments, while Thomas has also received support from the University of Pennsylvania, the Ivy League and  LGBTQ+ inclusion advocates, per Barnes. 

Thomas also received support from Stanford swimmer and Olympian Brooke Ford, who released a statement on Jan. 25: "I believe that treating people with respect and dignity is more important than any trophy or record will ever be, which is why I will not have a problem racing against Lia at NCAAs this year."

Thomas is scheduled to compete at the Ivy League Championships from Feb. 16-19, while she has already qualified for the NCAA championships in March.