Tennis star Martina Navratilova led a chorus of disapproval against the University of Pennsylvania for nominating transgender swimmer Lia Thomas for the NCAA’s “Woman of the Year” award.
After UPenn announced its nomination of the former male swim team member who later led a controversial season demolishing one long-standing women’s record after another, tennis’ Navratilova blasted the school with a tweet saying, “Not enough fabulous biological women athletes, NCAA?!? What is wrong with you?!!!!!!!?”
Not enough fabulous biological women athletes, NCAA?!? What is wrong with you?!!!!!!!? https://t.co/5QAJyt0Qab
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) July 16, 2022
NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, who appeared alongside Thomas in the photo used in a tweet about the story by Outkick, added: “Being the real girl in that photo and also University of Kentucky’s nominee for NCAA WOTY, this is yet another slap in the face to women. First, a female national title and now nominated for the pinnacle award in collegiate athletics. The @NCAA has made this award worthless.”
Being the real girl in that photo and also University of Kentucky's nominee for NCAA WOTY, this is yet another slap in the face to women. First a female national title and now nominated for the pinnacle award in collegiate athletics. The @NCAA has made this award worthless. https://t.co/MRCieqbltd
— Riley Gaines (@RileyGaines) July 16, 2022
Former NCAA champion swimmer Marshi Smith was also on the attack against the nomination of Thomas for the award, adding, “How many women’s awards are we willing to surrender? The Ivy League choosing a male as their nominee is doubling down on their anti-woman campaign.”
How many women’s awards are we willing to surrender? Here’s another one “NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee” https://t.co/mn6XzO7IpA
— Marshi Smith 🏊🏼♀️🇷🇺🇸 (@SmithMarshi) July 15, 2022
It isn’t surprising that the UPenn administration nominated Thomas for the award because the school spent the entire swimming season ignoring pleas from Thomas’ teammates to address the unfairness of allowing the swimmer who has not undergone any surgical procedures to become a woman to compete against natural-born women.
The NCAA allows each participating college to nominate two nominees for the award, as long as one of the nominees is a woke candidate who is either from a protected class or a minority.
Thomas, who competed on the school’s men’s team for three uninspiring seasons, leaped to the top of nearly every category and took first place in the women’s 500-yard freestyle event in the NCAA’s swimming championship this year.
Lia Thomas just took first place at the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Women's Swimming & Diving Championships in the 500 freestyle. #SaveWomensSports pic.twitter.com/UWvDQMYHRJ
— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) March 17, 2022
The 577 nominees for NCAA’s Women of the Year represent student-athletes across 23 sports from the Division I, Division II, and Division III levels.
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