Riley Gaines, the Kentucky swimmer who tied with transgender athlete Lia Thomas in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event at the NCAA championships, penned an op-ed for Fox News calling for the country to properly recognize that female sports need protection.
Gaines wrote her op-ed in honor of the 37th National Girls and Women in Sports day that will be celebrated on February 1, arguing that the very concept of women’s sports teams faces annihilation from men who wish to compete alongside females.
“Males are hurdling themselves forward in national rankings stealing scholarships, titles, and opportunities from women who have worked their whole lives for those accomplishments,” wrote Gaines.
Gaines recalled having to compete with Lia Thomas at the NCAA Championship in 2022, lamenting how he rose from being ranked 462nd nationally as a male swimmer before switching on to become a female. To make matters worse, UPenn and the NCAA went on to nominate him for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.
