Michael Phelps says the controversy surrounding NCAA swimmer Lia Thomas is “very sophisticated.”
Thomas, a transgender swimmer on the ladies’s workforce on the College of Pennsylvania, competed for 3 years as a male. NCAA bylaws allow transgender athletes to compete as girls if they've undergone testosterone suppression for a 12 months.
Phelps, showing with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour final week, spoke to the difficulty as one among doping, saying he doesn’t imagine he’s competed in a good discipline in his entire profession.
“I believe this leads again to the organizing committees once more,” Phelps mentioned. “As a result of it must be a stage enjoying discipline. That’s one thing that all of us want. As a result of that’s what sports activities are. For me, I don’t know the place that is going to go. I don’t know what’s going to occur.”
Thomas has been demolishing feminine competitors. There's a probability she couldn't solely win nationwide championships, however compete for all-time NCAA information set by Olympic gold medalists Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky.
None of Thomas’ teammates have spoken on the report about their opinion on the matter, although some have chosen to take action anonymously to voice their issues.
“She compares herself to Jackie Robinson. She mentioned she is just like the Jackie Robinson of trans sports activities,” one among Thomas’ teammates instructed the Washington Examiner final week. “She laughs about it and mocks the scenario. As a substitute of caring or exhibiting that she cares about what she’s doing or what she’s doing to her teammates, she’s not sympathetic or empathetic in any respect. Lia by no means addressed our workforce. She by no means requested if it was OK. She by no means requested how we felt. She by no means tried to clarify how she feels. She by no means has mentioned something to us as a gaggle. She by no means addressed something.”
Phelps, who gained 13 particular person gold medals as an Olympic swimmer, continued to advocate for a stage enjoying discipline in swimming.
“I imagine that all of us ought to really feel comfy with who we're in our personal pores and skin, however I believe sports activities ought to all be performed on an excellent enjoying discipline,” he mentioned. “I don’t know what it appears like sooner or later. It’s onerous. It’s very sophisticated and that is my sport, this has been my sport my entire total profession, and truthfully the one factor I'd love is everyone having the ability to compete on an excellent enjoying discipline.”
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