The NCAA had to strip Thomas of her medals. Their eligibility standards and perks did not meet the NCAA’s tighter restrictions from recent months.
These rules were meant to prevent transgender athletes from having an unfair edge over cisgender women in sports. Thomas’ NCAA Championship medals from prior years were invalidated.
Riley Gaines, a talented swimmer and repeated NCAA All-American, took Thomas’ medals, which was the most surprise twist.
Gaines frequently opposed transgender competitors in women’s swimming contests, stating that transgender women had a biological edge.
She became famous in 2021 after openly admitting she lost to Thomas in the NCAA Championships in the same discipline, which exacerbated her fears.
The NCAA gave Riley Gaines Lia Thomas’ medals after stripping them. Gaines previously utilized media attention to emphasize.
