Virginia swimmer Reka Gyorgy finishes behind Lia Thomas; pens critical letter to NCAA after 500 Free exit

Reka Gyorgy and Lia Thomas

Virginia Tech swimmer Reka Gyorgy suffered a defeat against Lia Thomas and missed out on competing in the finals of the 500 free at the NCAA Championships. Consequently, she wrote an open letter slamming the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) after finishing in 17th place.

In her letter, Reka said she stands with Lia but blamed the NCAA for the way the institution handled the entire situation, including the rules. She further went on to call on the NCAA to take another look at the situation with Thomas and transgender athletes.

Thomas previously competed for the Penn men’s team before she transitioned and underwent hormone therapy. She won the 500-meter freestyle and competed in other events at the latest NCAA Championships this week.

FS Video

Reka Gyorgy’s full statement slamming the NCAA

WOW: Virginia Tech swimmer Reka Gyorgy says her finals spot was stolen from her by Lia Thomas because of "the @NCAA's decision to let someone who is not a biological female to compete." pic.twitter.com/vrtEfqZ0LW
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) March 20, 2022

Addressing a letter directly to the NCAA and posting on the Instagram handle, Gyorgy wrote, “With all due respect, I would like to address something that is a problem in our sport right now and hurting athletes, especially female swimmers, Everyone has heard and known about transgender swimmer, Lia Thomas, and her case including all the issues and concerns that her situation brought into our sport.

“I’d like to point out that I respect and fully stand with Lia Thomas; I am convinced that she is no different than me or any other D1 swimmer who has woken up at 5 am her entire life for morning practice. She has sacrificed family vacations and holidays for a competition. She has pushed herself to the limit to be the best athlete she could be. She is doing what she is passionate about and deserves that right.

“On the other hand, I would like to critique the NCAA rules that allow her to compete against us, who are biologically women.”

Also Read | “Want to compete as who I am” – Trans swimmer Lia Thomas hits back at her critics