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The 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships kick off on Wednesday at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas will look to close out a controversial season in three individual events, in two of which Thomas ranks first in the nation.
Thomas, a 22-year-old transgender woman, is one of 322 athletes that qualified for the men’s and women’s championships this week after securing several records at the Ivy League Championships last month with wins in the 100, 200, and 500 freestyle events.
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Holding the top seed with a time of 4:34.06, Thomas is the favorite to win the women’s 500 free as well as the 200 free with the top time of 1:41.93. She also stands a good chance at upsetting the 100 free as the 10th seeded swimmer.
Pennsylvania's Lia Thomas cheers for teammates competing in the 1650-yard freestyle final at the Ivy League swimming and diving championships at Harvard, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
Thomas’ dominance in the pool comes amid a heated debate on whether transgender female athletes should be allowed to compete against biological females.
The NCAA updated its transgender participation policy back in January to defer to the guidance of each sport’s governing body. The NCAA announced that its policy would become effective in March, starting with the Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.
USA Swimming updated its policy shortly after requiring transgender athletes who are competing at an elite level to have small levels of testosterone – half of what Thomas was allowed to compete with – for at least 36 months before being eligible, but the NCAA said weeks later that the Administrative Subcommittee of the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CMAS) decided that it wouldn’t alter its testosterone guidance, stating that "implementing additional changes at this time could have unfair and potentially detrimental impacts on schools and student-athletes intending to compete in 2022 NCAA women's swimming championships."
Pennsylvania's Lia Thomas smiles after winning the 100-yard freestyle final at the Ivy League women's swimming and diving championships at Harvard University, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
The women’s championship begins Wednesday at 6 p.m. with the 200 medley relay. Read below for the full schedule of events.
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16
Finals 6 p.m. ET
– 200 Medley Relay
– 800 Freestyle Relay
THURSDAY, MARCH 17
Prelim: 10 a.m. ET
– 500 Freestyle
– 200 Individual Medley
– 50 Freestyle
– One-meter Diving
Finals: 6 p.m. ET
– 500 Freestyle
– 200 Individual Medley
– 50 Freestyle
– One-meter Diving
FRIDAY, MARCH 18
Prelim: 10 a.m. ET
– 400 Individual Medley
– 100 Butterfly
– 200 Freestyle
– 100 Breaststroke
– 100 Backstroke
– Three-meter Diving
Final: 6 p.m. ET
– 400 Individual Medley
– 100 Butterfly
– 200 Freestyle
– 100 Breaststroke
– 100 Backstroke
– Three-meter Diving
SATURDAY, MARCH 19
Prelims: 10 a.m. ET
– 200 Backstroke
– 100 Freestyle
– 200 Breaststroke
– 200 Butterfly
– Platform Diving
– 1,650 Freestyle
Finals: 6 p.m. ET
– 200 Backstroke
– 100 Freestyle
– 200 Breaststroke
– 200 Butterfly
– Platform Diving
– 400 Freestyle Relay
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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