Reka Gyorgy, a former Virginia Tech swimmer who is among the 16 current and former collegiate athletes suing the NCAA over its transgender policies, said Thursday she felt "cheated" out of making the 500 freestyle final at the 2022 championships because Lia Thomas had been allowed to compete.
Gyorgy missed the cut-off to get into the consolation final in the 500 free because she finished in 17th.
She said in an interview with The Free Press she felt like she was in the best shape of her life and was determined to make the final since it was going to be the last race of her collegiate career. She finished with a time of 4:41.06. Thomas, the transgender UPenn swimmer who eventually won a national championship in the event, finished the prelims with a 4:33.82 and a 4:33.24 in the final.
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"I feel like I was cheated out from the final because I knew that Lia is going to be in front of me for sure," Gyorgy explained to The Free Press. "And watching that last heat of the 500 freestyle, it was just so emotional and looking at the screen after the last heat touched the wall, and saw my name at 17th, I was shocked to be honest.
"I went through all the feelings. I was surrounded by my teammates and my coaches and I started crying. I broke down because I felt right away that I don’t have a second chance to swim again. It just wasn’t fair."
Gyorgy expressed her frustration to the NCAA in a letter soon after the 2022 championships.
"With all due respect, I would like to address something that is a problem in our sport right now and hurting athletes, especially female swimmers," the letter read. "Everyone has heard and known about transgender swimmer, Lia Thomas, and her case including all the issues and concerns that her situation brought into our sport. I’d like to point out that I respect and fully stand with Lia Thomas; I am convinced that she is no different than me or any other D1 swimmer who has woken up at 5am her entire life for morning practice. She has sacrificed family vacations and holidays for a competition. She has pushed herself to the limit to be the best athlete she could be. She is doing what she is passionate about and deserves that right. On the other hand, I would like to critique the NCAA rules that allow her to compete against us, who are biologically women.
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"I’m writing this letter right now in hopes that the NCAA will open their eyes and change these rules in the future. It doesn’t promote our sport in a good way and I think it is disrespectful against the biologically female swimmers who are competing in the NCAA."
Gyorgy, a Hungarian who competed in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2016 Summer Olympics, explained that she felt as though the last spot to get into the consolation final had been taken from her.
Gyorgy added the NCAA "knew what was coming this past week" and wrote that the media circus around the NCAA Championships this week put in the shadows the incredible performances of other competitors.
"It is the result of the NCAA and their lack of interest in protecting their athletes. I ask the NCAA takes time to think about all the other biological women in swimming, try to think how they would feel if they would be in our shoes. Make the right changes for our sport and for a better future in swimming," the letter concluded."
Now Gyorgy, along with fellow former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, is among those who are taking their battle to court in Georgia.
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