Trans UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas is accused of claiming she’s ‘the Jackie Robinson of trans sports’  

Teammate reveals trans UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas claims she’s ‘the Jackie Robinson of trans sports’ and has created toxic environment in women’s team

  • A UPenn swimmer claimed teammate Lia Thomas, 22, called herself ‘the Jackie Robinson of trans sports’ 
  • Thomas, who sparked controversy after joining the women’s swim team and shattering records, was also accused of constantly making arrogant comments
  • The anonymous teammate said Thomas did not care about how she was affecting the rest of the team and never tried to reach out to them
  • She added that Thomas was refusing to follow orders not to draw attention to the team to avoid harassment
  • The accusation comes after Thomas was defeated last week by a Yale swimmer transitioning from female to male 


University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas was accused of calling herself the transgender version of trailblazing baseball legend Jackie Robinson and creating a ‘toxic environment’ for the school’s women’s swim team, one of her teammates claim. 

Speaking anonymously to the Washington Examiner, the teammate said Thomas, 22, was behaving entitled after she transitioned to a woman and left the men’s swim team, where she competed in for three years. 

Thomas continues to draw controversy, which only grew after she shattered women’s swim records at UPenn. 

‘She laughs about it and mocks the situation,’ the teammate told the Examiner.

‘Instead of caring or showing that she cares about what she’s doing or what she’s doing to her teammates, she’s not sympathetic or empathetic at all. 

‘She compares herself to Jackie Robinson,’ the teammate added, referencing the fact that Robinson broke the race barrier to become the first black man to play Major League Baseball. 

‘She said she is like the Jackie Robinson of trans sports.’ 

Jackie Robinson

A UPenn swimmer claimed teammate Lia Thomas (left), a trans woman, has created a toxic environment in the team and called herself ‘the Jackie Robinson of trans sports.’ Robinson (left) famously broke barriers as the first black man to play in the MLB 

The anonymous teammate claims Thomas never reached out to her fellow teammates after joining the team and consistently makes arrogant remarks

The anonymous teammate claims Thomas never reached out to her fellow teammates after joining the team and consistently makes arrogant remarks

The trans athlete sparked controversy after shattering several UPenn women's records

The trans athlete sparked controversy after shattering several UPenn women’s records 

The teammate went on to claim that Thomas has never reached out to her new teammates and only alienates them. 

‘All she does is make comments to people like, ‘At least I’m still No. 1 in the country,’ and those kinds of cocky things,’ the teammate said. 

‘She doesn’t care how all this is affecting us and how this is affecting our relationship to swimming. She doesn’t care, and it makes it really hard to like her.’ 

The anonymous teammate also added that Thomas continues to disregard the teams dress code of not wearing their team gear while out in public, ignoring orders to not draw attention to the team to avoid harassment. 

UPenn did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment. 

The teammate claimed Thomas (top left) does not care about how she is affecting other teammates and refuses to follow orders not to draw attention to herself

The teammate claimed Thomas (top left) does not care about how she is affecting other teammates and refuses to follow orders not to draw attention to herself

DailyMail.com previously reported that a group of the team’s 41 swimmers had planned to boycott their final meet in late December over Thomas’ inclusion in the team, but ultimately decided against it due to fears of being perceived as transphobic and penalizing the team before the Ivy League championship.    

Thomas has previously said she just ties and ignores the backlash about her performance and status on the team. 

Last week Thomas lost against Yale transgender swimmer Iszac Henig, 20, who competed in his last match as a woman before planning to take testosterone this year and transitioning to male. 

Henig defeated Thomas in the 100-yard freestyle, finishing with a time of 49.57, more than three seconds ahead of Thomas, who finished sixth with a time of 52.84.

He then powered Yale’s 400-yard freestyle relay to victory, swimming his leg in 50.45 seconds, while Thomas finished his leg in 51.94.

Henig also won the 50-yard freestyle in 22.76 second, barely missing breaking his personal best for the event of 22.59.

The two could meet again at the Ivy League championships next month, though the pandemic canceled the 2020-21 season.

Henig still competes on the Ivy League school's women's team after coming out to coaches and teammates in April 2021, and told the New York Times in July that he was not taking hormones because he still wanted to compete

Henig, (back row, center), with her Yale swim teammates before announcing to them that she was transitioning to male

Yale trans swimmer Iszac Henig easily beat Lia Thomas last week in his finally competition on the women’s team as he begins his transition to male

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk