Career Timeline of Lia Thomas: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Lia Thomas made an impact.

Lia Thomas is an American swimmer who gained national attention as the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship, winning the 500-yard freestyle in 2022. Her participation in women's swimming sparked considerable debate surrounding transgender women's inclusion in women's sports. Subsequently, she was barred from competing in women's events by World Aquatics. Thomas's career has become central to discussions about fairness, inclusion, and the evolving landscape of sports regulations concerning transgender athletes.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2017: Joins UPenn Men's Swim Team

In 2017, Lia Thomas began swimming on the men's team at the University of Pennsylvania. During her freshman year, she achieved notable times in various freestyle events.

2017: Attends University of Pennsylvania

In 2017, Lia Thomas started attending the University of Pennsylvania. She also competed for Westlake High School, where she finished sixth in the state high school swimming championships for boys' events.

2018: Top UPenn Men's Team Times

During the 2018 season, Lia Thomas recorded the top UPenn men's team times in the 500 free, 1,000 free, and 1,650 free.

2018: Men's Team Ranking

In the 2018–2019 season, while competing on the men's team, Lia Thomas was ranked 554th in the 200 freestyle, 65th in the 500 freestyle, and 32nd in the 1650 freestyle.

2019: Peak in Distance Swimming

In 2019, Lia Thomas's event progression peaked in distance swimming.

2019: Ivy League Championships

In 2019, as a sophomore on the men's swim team, Lia Thomas finished second in the men's 500, 1,000, and 1,650-yard freestyle events at the Ivy League championships.

2019: Men's Team Ranking

In the 2018–2019 season, while competing on the men's team, Lia Thomas was ranked 554th in the 200 freestyle, 65th in the 500 freestyle, and 32nd in the 1650 freestyle.

2020: Swims for Men's Team

During the 2019-2020 academic year, Lia Thomas swam for the men's team as a junior while undergoing hormone therapy, in order to maintain eligibility.

2021: Swimming Rank

According to the swimming data website Swimcloud, in 2021–2022 season Thomas was ranked 36th among female college swimmers in the United States and 46th among women swimmers nationally.

2021: Women's Team Ranking

In the 2021–2022 season, while competing on the women's team, Lia Thomas's ranking improved to fifth in the 200 freestyle, first in the 500 freestyle, and eighth in the 1,650 freestyle.

2021: Dip in Sprint Swimming

Lia Thomas's event progression for sprint swimming reflected a dip at the start of the 2021–2022 season before returning to near-lifetime bests in the 100 free and a lifetime personal best in the 50 free in 2021.

January 2022: Sixth Place Finish Against Yale

In January 2022, during a race against Yale, Lia Thomas finished in sixth place in the 100m freestyle race, losing to four cisgender women and Iszac Henig, a transgender man.

March 2022: Wins NCAA Division I National Championship

In March 2022, Lia Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship in any sport, winning the women's 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:33.24. She also participated in the 200 and 100 freestyle events.

March 2022: Last College Swimming Event

The March 2022 NCAA championship was Lia Thomas's last college swimming event. By the conclusion of Thomas's swimming career at UPenn in 2022, her ranking had significantly improved.

2022: Drop in Distance Swimming Times

During the 2021–2022 season, Lia Thomas experienced a drop in times for distance swimming.

2022: Swims on Women's Team

In 2021–2022 Lia Thomas swam on the women's team after taking a year off school to maintain her eligibility to compete while competitive swimming was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022: Wins NCAA Championship

In 2022, Lia Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship, winning the women's 500-yard freestyle event. Later in 2022, she was barred from competing in women's events by World Aquatics.

2022: Introduction of World Aquatics Gender Inclusion Policy

In 2022, World Aquatics introduced its gender inclusion policy, stipulating that trans women can compete in the women's category if any male puberty was halted by age 12 or Tanner Stage 2.

2022: Women's Team Ranking

In the 2021–2022 season, while competing on the women's team, Lia Thomas's ranking improved to fifth in the 200 freestyle, first in the 500 freestyle, and eighth in the 1,650 freestyle.

January 2024: Legal Challenge to World Aquatics Gender Inclusion Policy

In January 2024, Lia Thomas initiated a legal challenge against the World Aquatics gender inclusion policy, arguing that the policy is discriminatory towards transgender women.

June 2024: Court of Arbitration Ruling

In June 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Lia Thomas lacked the standing to challenge the World Aquatics gender inclusion policy, thus maintaining her ineligibility to compete under the existing rules.