Ron DeSantis Rejects Lia Thomas Win As A 'Lie', Honors Second Place Instead
Ron DeSantis is refusing to recognize transgender swimmer Lia Thomas' NCAA win last week and said the state is choosing to honor runner-up and Sarasota-native Emma Weyant as the winner of the 500-yard freestyle instead.On Tuesday, the governor issued a proclamation declaring Weyant as the "rightful winner" of the race, saying that the NCAA's decision to allow the University of Pennsylvania's Thomas to compete and win "erode opportunities for women athletes and perpetuate a fraud against women athletes."Thomas made history on Thursday as the first known transgender athlete to win a division one national championship after beating Weyant by 1.75 seconds.Weyant, who is a freshman at the University of Virginia, swam her fastest career time during the championship and the third-fastest time in UVA history, according to the college."By allowing men to compete in women's sports, the NCAA is destroying opportunities for women, making a mockery of its championships, and perpetuating a fraud," DeSantis tweeted. "In Florida, we reject these lies and recognize Sarasota's Emma Weyant as the best women's swimmer in the 500y freestyle."DeSantis is not the first conservative figure to recognize Weyant as the winner over Thomas.Congressman Dan Crenshaw, Angela Morabito, a former press secretary for the Department of Education during the Trump administration, and Clay Travis, political commentator and founder of sports media company OutKick, have also said Weyant should have been declared the winner of the championship.This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available..
