Kentucky Swimmer Is Still Waiting For Trophy That Was Given To Lia Thomas

Riley Gaines, the biological female Kentucky swimmer whose fifth place trophy was given to Penn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas after they tied during an NCAA championship race, is still waiting on a trophy from the NCAA.

Appearing on Senator Marsha Blackburn's "Unmuted" podcast, Gaines told the politician that she still hasn't received the trophy promised to her by NCAA officials who insisted that Lia Thomas go home from the championships with the one trophy available.

"No I do not," Gaines told Blackburn after being asked if she has received the trophy promised. Gaines said in March that an NCAA official offered her the chance to hold the sixth place trophy while on the podium next to Thomas.

The Kentucky swimmer says an official told her, “I just want you to know that we respect you and admire your swim so much, but we just want Lia to hold the fifth-place trophy.”

And two weeks later, Gaines is still waiting on that trophy to arrive at her house.

“The thing I’ve learned the most throughout all of this is to use your voice,” Gaines told Blackburn when asked what she'd tell high school athletes who could be in a similar situation in the very near future. “Before I said anything publicly a couple weeks ago, with myself being the first or second to protest this, I have realized there are so many girls who feel the exact same way as I do but are told they can’t say anything, or they’re scared because today’s culture is ‘cancel culture’ and they don’t want to risk their future in athletics or future career. There are so many things that can be taken down with it.

“But what I’ve realized is if we want a change, you have to use your voice. We have to let people know as a group that a majority of us female athletes — or females in general — are not okay with this. We’re not okay with the trajectory of how this is going or how it could end up in a couple years.”

Gaines' advice to "use your voice" seems to be a similar message coming out of Great Britain where biological female cyclists reportedly threatened to boycott an event over the weekend where transgender cyclist Emily Bridges was expected to race.

Ultimately, Bridges was blocked from racing against the biological women.

Now women need to speak up to help Gaines get her trophy.