Lia Thomas Does The Unthinkable, Smokes Biological Women At Ivy Championships

The only drama going into the Ivy League women’s 500 freestyle championship race Thursday night at Blodgett Pool on Harvard’s campus was which records Lia Thomas, who swam as a male for three seasons at Penn before deciding to swim as a female, would break.

Would it be the meet record? Would it be the pool record?

By the end of the 500, it was Thomas (4:37.32) setting a new pool record as she cruised to a seven-second victory over her teammate, junior Catherine Buroker (4:44.83), who lost out on an Ivy League championship to a male who identifies as a female.

🥇🥈

Lia Thomas is the @IvyLeague champion in the 500 free. Her time of 4:37.32 is a new pool record.

Catherine Buroker finishes in second.#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/ki2SQdxn6Q

— Penn Swimming & Diving (@PennSwimDive) February 17, 2022

The women are in fourth place after 2⃣ days at the @IvyLeague Championships!

Click the link to read about all the action on Thursday ⬇️

📰 https://t.co/UPC0JtKiRA#FightOnPenn 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/f9ZF7KyQ2A

— Penn Swimming & Diving (@PennSwimDive) February 18, 2022

In the 50 freestyle, Yale’s transgender swimmer Iszak Henig, a female who identifies as a male, set a new pool record with a time of 21.93 to win an Ivy League title.

It was clear heading into Thursday’s 500 qualifying and finals that Thomas, who has the nation’s fastest 500 free time (4:34.06), wouldn’t be pushed in the finals. It will be more of the same Friday when Thomas, who has also qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 200 freestyle, enters the pool against competitors who don’t have a time within five seconds of the 1:41:93 Thomas put up earlier this season.

Lia Thomas Is Off To A Fast Start Against Biological Females At Ivy Championships

It will be more destruction of biological females for Thomas later today at Blodgett Pool. Even if Thomas cruises, the meet record (1:43:78) and the pool record (1:45:00) figure to be old news by the end of the night.