The topic of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports has generated quite a bit of controversy recently, and Caitlyn Jenner’s stance on it has not changed.
Jenner, a transgender woman and Olympic gold medalist, was asked about the Lia Thomas situation during an appearance on FOX’s “America Reports” this week. Thomas was born a man but has been dominating in women’s swimming at the University of Pennsylvania. Jenner said she does not believe Thomas should be able to complete in women’s sports.
“I don’t know why she’s doing this,” Jenner said. “She knows when she’s swimming she’s beating the competition by two laps. She was born a biological boy. She was raised as a biological boy. Her cardiovascular system is bigger, her respiratory system is bigger, her hands are bigger, she can swim faster. That’s a known.”
Current NCAA rules state that transgender athletes can compete as women if they have undergone testosterone suppression for a year. The NCAA’s board of governors is in the process of reviewing the policy.
Jenner said the NCAA needs to “protect women’s sports.”
“All of this woke world that we are living in right now is not working,” she added. “I feel sorry for the other athletes that are out there, especially at Penn or anybody she’s competing against because in the woke world you have to say, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is great’ and on and on and on. No, it’s not. We need to protect women’s sports and the NCAA needs to make the right decision tomorrow, and I think that is probably to stop this right now. Rethink it.”
Thomas has been competing on the women’s team at Penn despite swimming for the men’s team the previous three years. She last swam on the men’s team as Will Thomas in 2019 and was a second-team all conference swimmer. Members of the Penn women’s swimming have indicated they are not happy with Thomas being allowed to compete.
Jenner is not the only former Olympian who has spoken out about the transgender sports issue. Michael Phelps also indicated recently that he believes it has become a problem.
