Katie Ledecky Declines To Comment On Transgender Issue But Praises Debate
Katie Ledecky would rather not weigh in on transgender athletes in sports.
The issue of males participating in female sports was first catapulted into the national conversation after the NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in March 2022. That's when Lia Thomas, a man who identifies as a woman, won the 500-yard freestyle and earned two other All-America honors.
That swimming pool in Atlanta was essentially ground zero for the growing trend of males transitioning to women's sports — raising questions about fairness and safety for female athletes. And this past April, the Biden Administration even re-wrote Title IX to protect gender identity over biological sex — which, justifiably, sparked outrage from those concerned about the future of women's sports.
Katie Ledecky doesn't want to weigh in on transgender athletes in women's sports.
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Ledecky, the most decorated women's swimmer in history, praised the debate. But this is a debate she wants no part of.
"I think we’re lucky to live in a country where issues can be debated, whether it’s that issue or any other issue. It’s how I feel," Ledecky said, according to The New York Times. "I think it’s important to learn perspectives of others and gain an understanding of things and learn more about where everyone comes from."
Lia Thomas switched from the men's team to the women's team at UPenn.
(Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
In June 2022, World Aquatics (the governing body for international swimming) revised its policy to ban transgender athletes from competing in elite women's events if they have undergone female puberty. Thomas' success at the NCAA Championships played a pivotal role in that decision.
And, earlier this year, Thomas fought an unsuccessful legal battle to have that ban wiped away. The former UPenn swimmer was hoping to earn a spot on the women's team for the 2024 Summer Olympics — but that didn't happen.
Joe Biden awards the Medal of Freedom to U.S. Olympic gold medal swimmer Katie Ledecky.
(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
As for Ledecky, she is preparing to compete in Paris this summer. And last month, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
All accolades she's earned while competing against women, of course.