FACT CHECK: Did The Men’s Swim Team Refuse To Compete With Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas?

Joseph Casieri | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on social media purports that the men’s swim team has refused to compete with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.

Verdict: False

The claim stems from a satirical article.

Fact Check:

Thomas recently lost the case for trans women to be allowed to compete in the women’s division of the Olympics, according to NBC News. The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Thomas’ requests for arbitration and she will miss the qualifying trials to compete in this Summer’s Olympics in Paris.

A post shared on Facebook alleges that the men’s division has refused to allow Thomas to compete with them, calling Thomas a cheater. The post shared a photo of male swimmers by a diving board and one of Thomas in swimwear.

The caption reads, “Breaking: Men’s Swimming Team Refuses To Compete Against Lia Thomas, Says ‘He’s A Cheat’”

The claim is inaccurate. There is no credible news report that suggests that the men’s team made this statement. Furthermore, the post fails to identify what team made this statement. The claim stems from a satirical news outlet called SpaceXMania. The piece claims that now the men’s swim team does not want Thomas to participate in their competitions.

The website features a disclaimer that identifies the site as satire. The disclaimer reads, “lease note that the article under the category ‘SATIRE’ are satirical in nature and are not meant to be taken seriously. These articles are meant to be humorous and are often entirely made up. We make no claim that the information presented in these articles is true or accurate.” (RELATED: Did Steelers’ Coach Mike Tomlin Tell Players Not To Participate In Pride Month?)

Thomas has been the subject of much misinformation and satire. Check Your Fact has debunked several false claims about the swimmer.

This is not the first time misinformation has been shared online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim The Economist published a cover featuring a crosshair on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Joseph Casieri

Fact Check Reporter

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