Caitlyn Jenner, an Olympian and Fox News contributor, slammed former collegiate swimmer Lia Thomas’ attempt to challenge a ruling from the World Aquatics that directly impacts transgender athletes.
The policy essentially restricts transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. Thomas was born a male but identifies as a female. During a recent edition of OutKick’s “Gaines For Girls” podcast, Jenner, who also identifies as a transgender woman, described Thomas as “a nobody” and a “narcissist.”
“Lia Thomas coming back, honestly, I think she’s a narcissist. I think she just wants the publicity,” Jenner told Gaines. “I think she was virtually a nobody.”
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Caitlyn Jenner appears on Riley Gaines’ “Gaines For Girls” podcast. (OutKick)
Jenner contended that Thomas has been mostly away from the public eye over the past several months and was merely resurfacing for “publicity.”
“Well, for the last six, nine months, I really haven’t heard much about her ever since the Olympic Committee came out and basically said, ‘You’re not eligible,’” Jenner added. “Now, she’s trying to fight that, and I think she’s doing it for the publicity. I don’t know any other reason why she should.”
Jenner also argued that Thomas was seeking to recreate the attention she experienced after defeating Gaines in collegiate competition. Gaines is a 12-time All-American who competed for the Kentucky Wildcats.
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, left, and Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines tied for fifth in the 200 freestyle finals at the NCAA swimming and diving championships March 18, 2022, at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“Nobody knew of her until she was beating your butt and got into women’s swimming,” Jenner said.
“Then, all of a sudden, she was on the covers of magazines, and she’s just living up all the pressure. She’s getting clicks all over the place. She’s getting followers all over the place to see what this story is.”
Caitlyn Jenner at the fifth hole during the pro-am prior to the LIV Golf Invitational – Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster July 28, 2022, in Bedminster, N.J. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Gaines noted the recently created World Aquatics’ “open category” has failed to attract any swimmers. The category permits the participation of transgender women in sporting events.
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Thomas became the first known transgender athlete to win a NCAA Division I title.
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