Trans swimmer Lia Thomas booed after winning race but runner-up receives loud cheers.

Lia Thomas has become the first transgender athlete to win a National Collegiate Athletic Association swimming championship - with her controversial victory attracting a mixed reception. The UPenn swimmer, 22, won the 500 yard freestyle in Atlanta in a time of 4 minutes, seconds on Thursday evening. Afterwards, the crowd were notably more enthusiastic when cheering for the woman who’d come second place - Emma Weyant, of the University of Virginia. She swam 4:. While Thomas was given some cheers, boos could also be heard ringing out throughout the spectator stands, as she continues to face allegations that going through male puberty has given her an unfair advantage over her rivals. ’I try to ignore it as much as I can, I try to focus on my swimming what I need to do to get ready for my races and I just try to block out everything else,’ said Thomas after the race, when asked by ESPN about the response. ’It means the world to be here, to be wit