Female swimmer who tied Lia Thomas speaks out
University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines joins 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' to discuss NCAA handling of meet.
A University of Kentucky swimmer who tied Penn's Lia Thomas at the NCAA championships called out the NCAA for handling the situation "very poorly" Wednesday on "Tucker Carlson Tonight."
Riley Gaines, who tied Thomas – a transgender female – said the NCAA told her that Thomas would be pictured with the 5th place trophy at the Atlanta championships, and that she could "pose" with the sixth place trophy.
Gaines told "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that when she questioned an NCAA official about that decision, she was told they were going in chronological order of winners – despite the fact she and Thomas tied.
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U-Penn Quaker swimmer Lia Thomas and UK Wildcat swimmer Riley Gaines (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty)
"We tied. What are we being chronological about?" she recalled asking the official. "And he kind of blatantly said, 'we're just going to give the trophy to Lia: We respect and admire your swim, but Lia needs to hold the trophy.'"
Host Tucker Carlson remarked that the exchange showed that the NCAA is openly promoting biological males over biological females in a women's event.
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UPenn's Lia Thomas (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Gaines said many other female swimmers have been advised not to speak out.
"I'm fortunate enough to where I have such an amazing support system at the University of Kentucky … I know I can't speak for everyone, but I am almost certain I'm speaking for a large majority of female athletes: This is not OK, and it's not fair."
"I think there's a difference between your sex and your gender identity, and so I think that it's just been totally misconstrued and lost," she said.
"It's finally gotten to the point where it's being shown and it's completely violating women and women's rights, especially in sports," she added.
Carlson said that what America is witnessing is "cheating."
"And it's remarkable that it takes bravery to point that out. But it does, and you are brave for doing it," he told Gaines.