Trans swimmer has advantage over women even if she lowers testosterone levels

The future of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who is blowing away every record in the pool at the college level, is in serious jeopardy. The obvious competitive advantage she has over her competitors, who are born women, has sparked a debate about the future of women's sports to the point that every competition she participates in becomes the focus of media attention.

Now, a report in The New York Times reinforces the thesis put forward by her critics: medically, she maintains her biological advantage despite taking testosterone suppressants generated by being born as a man.

Lia Thomas — a transgender woman who broke records as a swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania — has faced stony silence and muffled boos at meets.

The number of top transgender athletes is small, but the disagreements and debates are profound. https://t.co/kqfDS3w8bD

— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 29, 2022

Two physicians from the prestigious Mayo Clinic have expressed their concern about the swimmer’s competitions and are very clear about it.

"There are social aspects to the sport, but physiology and biology underpin it. Testosterone is the 800-pound gorilla," said Dr. Michael J. Joyner, something endorsed by Dr. Ross Tucker, a sports physiologist at the same clinic. 

"Lia Thomas is the manifestation of scientific evidence. Testosterone depletion did not eliminate her biological advantage," says Tucker.

Doctors have confirmed trans swimming champion Lia Thomas has a physical advantage in competition over biological females. https://t.co/jH8lP48BgX

"You see the divergence immediately as the testosterone surges into the boys. There are dramatic differences in performances." pic.twitter.com/0wuytlK7KA

— Newsmax (@newsmax) May 31, 2022

Lia Thomas was born Will Thomas, and that hasn't changed for her body despite her starting hormone treatment in 2019 to get her body suited to what her mind felt. But her presence in collegiate championships forced the NCAA to take action and set a maximum blood testosterone as the bar for considering a woman, biological or not, admissible in women's competitions.

That forced Thomas to medicate with testosterone suppressants, but competitive evidence points to her still being too superior. In the women's 400-meter freestyle at the NCAA championships, Lia beat Emma Weyan and Erica Sullivan, both silver medalists at last summer's Tokyo Olympics.