FL Swimmer ‘Rightful Winner’ Over Trans Athlete In NCAA Championship Race, DeSantis Says

FLORIDA — Sarasota native and Olympic silver medalist Emma Weyant was the “rightful winner” in Thursday’s NCAA 500-yard freestyle championship race, according to a proclamation signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday.

Weyant, swimming for the University of Virginia, came in second in the race, just behind Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete and a University of Pennsylvania senior.

Thomas, who finished the race in 4 minutes, 33.24 seconds, made history as the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship.

The Sarasota swimmer finished in 4 minutes, 34.99 seconds, swimming a career best and the third-fastest time in UVA’s history.

“Florida rejects the NCAA’s efforts to destroy women’s athletics, disapproves of the NCAA elevating ideology over biology, and takes offense at the NCAA trying to make others complicit in a lie,” according to the governor’s proclamation.

Related Story: Transgender Swimmer Beats Sarasota Olympian In NCAA Championship

During a news conference Tuesday, according to WFLA, DeSantis said, “They’re trying to undermine the integrity of the competition. They’re crowning somebody else the women’s champion, and we think that’s wrong.”

The inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports has been considered controversial by some who argue that they have an unfair physical advantage.

Thomas has followed NCAA and Ivy League rules since she began her transition in 2019 by starting hormone replacement therapy.

Still, the governor still feels that Weyant was unjustly denied the NCAA championship title.

"If the NCAA was willing to ensure the integrity of women's competition, she would have been crowned national champion," DeSantis said, according to WESH. "She earned that. ... We need to honor that appropriately."

Read the full proclamation below:

In February, more than 300 current and former NCAA, Team USA and international swimmers and divers signed and released an open letter in support of Thomas to the NCAA.

"We, the undersigned members of the swimming community, support and welcome transgender and nonbinary athletes in our sport. With this letter, we express our support for Lia Thomas, and all transgender college athletes, who deserve to be able to participate in safe and welcoming athletic environments. We urge you to not allow political pressure to compromise the safety and wellbeing of college athletes everywhere," the athletes wrote.

They added, "We love swimming for the lifelong, invaluable lessons it has taught us about hard work, discipline, and the power of being part of a team. No one should be denied the opportunity to have their life changed through swimming simply because of who they are."

There's been debate about whether trans athletes retain a physical advantage in sports with differing findings and opinions.