Olympic athlete and Fox News contributor Caitlyn Jenner criticized former college swimmer Lia Thomas' attempt to challenge a World Aquatics ruling that directly affects transgender athletes.
Basically, the policy restricts transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. Thomas was born male but identifies as 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, I honestly think she's a narcissist. I think she just wants publicity,” Jenner told Gaines. “I think she was pretty much a nobody.”
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Caitlyn Jenner appears on Riley Gaines' “Gaines For Girls” podcast. (Outside kick)
Jenner maintained that Thomas has been largely out of the public eye for the past few months and was simply resurfacing for “publicity.”
“Well, for the last six or nine months, I haven't really heard much about her since the Olympic Committee came out and basically said, 'You're not eligible,'” Jenner added. “Now, she's trying to fight it, and I think she's doing it for publicity. I don't know any other reason why she should do it.”
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Jenner also argued that Thomas was seeking to recreate the attention he experienced after defeating Gaines in a college competition. Gaines is a 12-time All-American and competed for the Kentucky Wildcats.
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, left, and Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines tie for fifth place in the 200 freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18, 2022 , at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“No one knew about her until she started beating your butt and got into women's swimming,” Jenner said.
“Then all of a sudden he was on the covers of magazines and had to take all the pressure. He got clicks everywhere. He got followers everywhere to see what this story was about.”
Caitlyn Jenner on the fifth hole during the pro-am before the LIV Golf Invitational – Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster July 28, 2022, in Bedminster, New Jersey (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Gaines noted that the newly created World Aquatics “open category” has failed to attract any swimmers. The category allows the participation of transgender women in sporting events.
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Thomas became the first known transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title.
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