The claim that Lia Thomas was permanently barred from competitive swimming by the NCAA is false.
A photo of former collegiate swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, is featured in a Feb. 23 Facebook post (direct link, archive link), along with a photo of a sign outside the NCAA’s headquarters.
The post’s title, which directs social media users to an essay making the exact claim, reads “NCAA Bans Lia Thomas From Competitive Swimming.”
Numerous commenters viewed it as authentic information.
“Finally common sense prevails,” But why did it take the NCAA so long to comprehend what they were seeing?
“About time, NCAA got its system together (sic),” wrote another.
In six weeks, more than 1,000 people shared the article.
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Satire is the highest score we can give.
An NCAA spokesperson said the claim is fabricated. It was posted by a user account that only posts humorous content and directs visitors to a piece of information that has been designated satire.
Thomas was no longer eligible for school in 2022.
While a member of the University of Pennsylvania’s swimming team, Thomas became a key player in the conversation about transgender individuals in sports. When she won the women’s 500-yard freestyle title in March 2022, she became the first trans athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship.
However, she is not subject to a career ban from the NCAA. According to business director Greg Johnson, the claim in the article is fabricated.
Fact check: No, Lia Thomas has not made any moves to a “more tolerant” country.
It was posted on SpaceX Fanclub’s humor account. Nothing on this site is real, according to the profile. The article directs visitors to an Espots article from February 23 that bears the term “satire” and includes a profile of the author who describes himself as a comedian.
According to that content, Thomas was prohibited from competing in upcoming events by the NCAA. A ban like that would be pointless, not only did it never occur, but it also had no practical application. Thomas, who had already finished her collegiate career at Penn in 2022, is ineligible to compete in any future collegiate meets.
The NCAA makes presentations about the restrictions and penalties it imposes on participants, coaches, and other institutions on its website. Thomas is not mentioned in any 2024 presentations.
Thomas has frequently been the subject of false information on social media. According to USA TODAY, she was accused of losing to Riley Gaines in an Olympic trial, that her trophies were being redistributed, and that the International Olympic Committee had banned her.
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