Teammates of transgender swimmer seek bar from women's competition

16 team-mates of transgender US college swimmer Lia Thomas say she should not be allowed to compete in women's competitions

Sixteen teammates of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas on Thursday urged US college sport authorities to follow new USA Swimming rules which could bar her from competing at upcoming championships.

In a letter sent to the University of Pennsylvania and the Ivy League athletic conference by former Olympic swimmer Nancy Hogshead-Makar, the 16 University of Pennsylvania swimmers argue that Thomas should not be allowed to compete in women's competition.

Her case has divided opinion, with some arguing she has an unfair physiological advantage while others saying she should be allowed to compete freely as a woman.

The new guidelines did not mention Thomas by name, but were widely seen as making it harder for her to be able to compete in major meets such as the Ivy League and National Collegiate Athletic Association championships.

The names of the 16 Penn swimmers were not included in the letter sent by Hogshead-Makar, the chief executive of Champion Women, a non-profit which provides legal advocacy for girls and women.

"Biologically, Lia holds an unfair advantage over competition in the women's category," the letter read, noting that Thomas's rankings have surged from 462nd as a male swimmer to 1st as a female.

The swimmers added they had been warned that if they spoke out against Thomas, they would be kicked off the team. 

"Sport is competitive by definition, and Lia's wins, records, and honors should not come at our expense, the women who have worked their entire lives to earn a spot on the Penn Women's Swimming Team." 

Hogshead-Makar and the University of Pennsylvania did not respond to requests for comment. 

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