In the NCAA Division I swimming and diving championships on Saturday, Penn swimmer Lia Thomas took the pool for the final time.
Thomas concluded her career with a last-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle final with a posted time of 48.18 seconds, which was nearly a full second slower than her qualifying time of 47.37 seconds.
While the result of the final race of Thomas’s swimming career might not have been what she wanted, it was a historic final meet for her. She became the first openly transgender national champion after winning the 500-yard freestyle Thursday.
Although NCAA rules allowed Thomas to compete in women’s events, some believed her presence in the competition was unfair.