VA Tech swimmer rips NCAA transgender participation policy: ‘Feels like the final spot was taken from me’

Reka Gyorgy, the Virginia Tech swimmer who missed out on competing within the finals of the five hundred free on the NCAA Championships earlier within the week, took difficulty with NCAA guidelines permitting transgender girls to compete towards organic females.

Gyorgy had missed the cut-off to get into the comfort ultimate within the 500 free. She completed in seventeenth place and within the letter argued she missed out due to Lia Thomas’ dominance within the race. 

The transgender College of Penn swimmer completed with a 4:33.82 within the preliminaries and later turned a nationwide champion when she received the race with a time of 4:33.24.

She wrote a letter addressed to the NCAA and posted it on her non-public Instagram account Sunday.

“With all due respect, I want to deal with one thing that may be a drawback in our sport proper now and hurting athletes, particularly feminine swimmers,” the letter read. “Everybody has heard and recognized about transgender swimmer, Lia Thomas, and her case together with all the problems and issues that her scenario introduced into our sport. I’d prefer to level out that I respect and absolutely stand with Lia Thomas; I’m satisfied that she isn’t any completely different than me or every other D1 swimmer who has woken up at 5am her complete life for morning apply. She has sacrificed household holidays and holidays for a contest. She has pushed herself to the restrict to be the perfect athlete she may very well be. She is doing what she is captivated with and deserves that proper. Then again, I want to critique the NCAA guidelines that permit her to compete towards us, who’re biologically girls.

“I’m penning this letter proper now in hopes that the NCAA will open their eyes and alter these guidelines sooner or later. It doesn’t promote our sport in a great way and I believe it’s disrespectful towards the biologically feminine swimmers who’re competing within the NCAA.”

Gyorgy, a Hungarian who competed within the 200-meter backstroke on the 2016 Summer time Video games, defined it felt the final spot to get into the comfort ultimate was taken from her.

LIA THOMAS FINISHES LAST PLACE IN THE 100-YARD FREESTYLE FINAL AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Lia Thomas seems on from the rostrum after ending fifth within the 200 Yard Freestyle through the 2022 NCAA Division I Ladies’s Swimming & Diving Championship on the McAuley Aquatic Heart on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Know-how on March 18, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Mike Comer/NCAA Images through Getty Photos)

“It looks like the ultimate spot was taken from me due to the NCAA’s choice to let somebody who just isn’t a organic feminine compete,” she wrote. “I do know you possibly can say I had the chance to swim quicker and make the highest 16, however this example makes it a bit completely different and I can’t assist however be indignant or unhappy. It hurts me, my crew and different girls within the pool. One spot was taken away from the woman who bought ninth within the 500 free and din’t make it again to the A ultimate stopping her from being an All-American. Each occasion that transgender athletes competed in was one spot taken away from organic females all through the meet.”

Gyorgy added the NCAA “knew what was coming this previous week” and wrote the media circus across the NCAA Championships this week put within the shadows the unbelievable performances from different rivals.

“It’s the results of the NCAA and their lack of curiosity in defending their athletes. I ask the NCAA takes time to consider all the opposite organic girls in swimming, attempt to assume how the would really feel if they might be in our sneakers. Make the best adjustments for our sport and for a greater future in swimming,” the letter concluded.

The NCAA did not instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.

Thomas’ dominance within the pool had been some extent of rivalry all season lengthy. She obtained the all-clear to compete within the Ivy League and NCAA Championships within the days main as much as the occasions.

The NCAA up to date its transgender participation coverage again in January to defer to the steering of every sport’s governing physique. The NCAA introduced that its coverage would grow to be efficient in March, beginning with the Division I Ladies’s Swimming and Diving Championships.

Lia Thomas seems on after profitable the Ladies’s 500 Yard Freestyle through the 2022 NCAA Division I Ladies’s Swimming & Diving Championship on the McAuley Aquatic Heart on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Know-how on March 17, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Mike Comer/NCAA Images through Getty Photos)

USA Swimming up to date its coverage shortly after requiring transgender athletes who’re competing at an elite degree to have small ranges of testosterone — half of what Thomas was allowed to compete with — for at the very least 36 months earlier than being eligible, however the NCAA mentioned weeks later that the Administrative Subcommittee of the Committee on Aggressive Safeguards and Medical Elements of Sports activities (CMAS) determined that it wouldn’t alter its testosterone steering, stating that “implementing further adjustments at the moment may have unfair and probably detrimental impacts on colleges and student-athletes meaning to compete in 2022 NCAA girls’s swimming championships.”