![Teammates of transgender swimmer seek bar from women's competition](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/c6/3d/46/Teammates-of-transgender-swimmer-se-268036.jpg)
-
US defends law forcing sale of TikTok app
-
Messi out for defending champ Miami as Leagues Cup begins
-
Australia bans uranium mining at Indigenous site
-
Divers attempt to reach sunken Philippine oil tanker
-
Trump accuses Harris of anti-Semitism in overblown speech
-
Coughlin clings to lead at LPGA Canadian Women's Open
-
Trump offers tech sector policy flips ahead of election
-
Spacecraft to swing by Earth, Moon on path to Jupiter
-
What's the fallout of Mexican drug lords' capture?
-
Video game makers see actors as AI 'data,' says union on strike
-
Chinese qualifier Shang to face Thompson in ATP Atlanta semis
-
'Massive attack' on French rail threatens more chaos
-
'We did it!': France breathes sigh of relief after Olympics ceremony
-
Regional concern grows as Venezuela blocks vote observers
-
Historic river parade, Dion show-stopper ignite Paris Olympics
-
Rainy Paris Olympic parade dampens many spectators' spirits
-
The one of a kind Paris opening ceremony: five memorable moments
-
Justin Timberlake seeks to dismiss DUI case
-
Warner Brothers Discovery sues NBA over Amazon rights deal
-
Kobe Bryant locker, Maradona jersey up for auction in New York
-
Historic river parade launches Paris Olympics
-
New York family of Holocaust victim reclaims Nazi-looted art
-
NASA Mars rover captures rock that could hold fossilized microbes
-
Thousands evacuate season's biggest wildfire in northern California
-
Ethiopia mourns victims of landslide tragedy
-
Lady Gaga adds sparkle to star-studded Olympic show
-
Airbus and Boeing supremacy secure despite turbulence
-
Teams sail down Seine in rain-soaked Olympics opening ceremony
-
West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third Test
-
Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine
-
Mott's England future uncertain as ECB chief fails to offer support
-
Trump meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in Florida
-
S.African police say 95 Libyans detained at suspected military camp
-
Blinken set for talks with Chinese counterpart in Laos
-
Norris heads Piastri in McLaren one-two at Belgian GP practice
-
G20 seeks common ground on taxing super-rich
-
European medicines watchdog rejects new Alzheimer's drug
-
Habib, Ebden eye Alcaraz and Djokovic shocks at Olympics tennis
-
Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
-
Two Sinaloa Cartel leaders face US charges after stunning capture
-
Spain train driver jailed for 2.5 years over deadly 2013 crash
-
Paris poised for Olympic opening ceremony spectacular
-
Judoka fails doping test in first case at Paris Olympics
-
Holder and Da Silva keep England at bay after West Indies collapse
-
Alpine F1 boss Bruno Famin to leave in August
-
Ethiopia declares three days of mourning after landslide tragedy
-
Brazilian dunes dotted with dazzling pools make UNESCO heritage list
-
Rain, cooling slow huge blaze in Canada's Jasper park
-
French Rugby's Jaminet suspended 34 weeks after racist video: Federation
-
Osaka looking to turbo-charge comeback at Paris Olympics
![Teammates of transgender swimmer seek bar from women's competition](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/c6/3d/46/Teammates-of-transgender-swimmer-se-268036.jpg)
Teammates of transgender swimmer seek bar from women's competition
Sixteen teammates of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas on Thursday urged US college sport authorities to follow new USA Swimming rules which could bar her from competing at upcoming championships.
In a letter sent to the University of Pennsylvania and the Ivy League athletic conference by former Olympic swimmer Nancy Hogshead-Makar, the 16 University of Pennsylvania swimmers argue that Thomas should not be allowed to compete in women's competition.
Thomas has dominated US collegiate women's swimming recently as a student athlete at Penn, where just a few years ago, she competed as a man.
Her case has divided opinion, with some arguing she has an unfair physiological advantage while others saying she should be allowed to compete freely as a woman.
On Tuesday, the governing body of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming, unveiled new guidelines which include a more stringent threshold for testosterone.
The new guidelines did not mention Thomas by name, but were widely seen as making it harder for her to be able to compete in major meets such as the Ivy League and National Collegiate Athletic Association championships.
Although some members of the Penn swimming team voiced support for Thomas's right to compete in a statement late Tuesday, a separate faction of the squad on Thursday said she should not be allowed to compete in women's competition.
The names of the 16 Penn swimmers were not included in the letter sent by Hogshead-Makar, the chief executive of Champion Women, a non-profit which provides legal advocacy for girls and women.
The swimmers argued that while they supported Thomas's gender identity, "the biology of sex is a separate issue from someone's gender identity" in sport.
"Biologically, Lia holds an unfair advantage over competition in the women's category," the letter read, noting that Thomas's rankings have surged from 462nd as a male swimmer to 1st as a female.
"If she were to be eligible to compete against us, she could now break Penn, Ivy, and NCAA Women’s Swimming records; feats she could never have done as a male athlete," the swimmers said.
The swimmers added they had been warned that if they spoke out against Thomas, they would be kicked off the team.
"We support Lia's mental health, and we ask Penn and the Ivy League to support ours as well," the letter reads.
"Sport is competitive by definition, and Lia's wins, records, and honors should not come at our expense, the women who have worked their entire lives to earn a spot on the Penn Women's Swimming Team."
The letter urged the University of Pennsylvania and Ivy League not to attempt a legal challenge to the new USA Swimming rules "so that we are able to finish our swimming season with distinction and pride."
Hogshead-Makar and the University of Pennsylvania did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for the Ivy League said the organization did not comment on letters submitted to the body.
A.Santos--PC