Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation Tuesday declaring runner-up the “rightful winner” of the 500-yard freestyle event in place of transgender NCAA champion Leah Thomas.
The Republican governor named University of Virginia freshman Emma Veyant the champion after she lost 1.75 seconds to 22-year-old Thomas in Thursday’s NCAA swim event.
“By allowing men to compete in women’s sports, the NCAA deprives women of opportunities, makes fun of their championships, and perpetuates fraud,” DeSantis said. tweeted. “In Florida, we reject these lies and recognize Sarasota’s Emma Veyant as the best female swimmer in the 500 Years Freestyle.”
The proclamation states that Veyant is the “rightful winner” and congratulates him on his “significant achievement”.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a proclamation saying Florida swimmer Emma Veyant has become the “rightful winner” of the NCAA competition against transgender swimmer Leah Thomas. AP
Emma Veyant lost to transgender swimmer Leah Thomas by 1.75 seconds in the NCAA 500-yard freestyle competition. AP
Leah Thomas swam in the men’s league for Penn for three years before moving on. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
DeSantis spoke out against Thomas at an unrelated press conference at Wesley Chapel, according to the Miami Herald.
“We need to stop allowing organizations like the NCAA to perpetuate fraud against the public, and that’s exactly what they’re doing,” DeSantis said.
Thomas, who swam as a man for three years at Penn before switching, has often been the target of critics who question the fairness of an athlete who was born a biological male competing with women.
Earlier this season, the NCAA introduced new rules regarding transgender athletes, and eligibility requirements are now up to individual sports. Thomas was allowed to compete this season because she had been on testosterone suppression drugs for over a year.
However, that didn’t stop critics like DeSantis and the Virginia Tech swimmer who failed to make it to the 500-yard freestyle final after Thomas dominated the qualifying race.
“This doesn’t promote our sport well and I think it’s disrespectful to biological swimmers who compete in the NCAA,” Virginia Tech’s Reka Gyorgy wrote on her personal Instagram account.
György added that while she supports and respects Thomas, citing his intense training regimen, like other collegiate swimmers, she blames the NCAA.
By allowing men to compete in women’s sports, the NCAA deprives women of opportunities, makes fun of their championships, and perpetuates cheating.
In Florida, we reject these lies and recognize Sarasota’s Emma Veyant as the best female swimmer in the 500 Years Freestyle. pic.twitter.com/tBmFxFE3q6
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 22, 2022
“On the other hand, I would like to criticize the NCAA rules that allow her to compete with us biological women,” Georgie continued the post on her personal Instagram profile.
In the meantime, DeSantis is widely regarded as a strong contender to become the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, and signed a bill last year to bar transgender athletes from playing high school sports with women and girls. At least 10 other states have similar laws or policies, according to the Miami Herald.
DeSantis’ statement insisted that “men should not compete against women” like Veyant, who he claims was stripped of first place.
“Florida rejects the NCAA’s efforts to destroy women’s athletics, disapproves of the NCAA’s emphasis on ideology over biology, and resents the NCAA’s attempt to make others complicit in lies,” the statement said.
Leah Thomas has been the subject of controversy. AP
The NCAA recently changed its rules to allow individual sports to determine eligibility requirements for transgender athletes. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
A message asking NCAA officials for comment was not immediately returned on Tuesday.