AP’s Assessment: False.
The claim that Lia Thomas’ collegiate awards will be transferred to Riley Gaines is not true. It originated from a satirical article and has no basis in fact.
The Facts:
Following a congressional hearing on transgender athletes in women’s sports, social media posts falsely claimed the NCAA would reassign medals from Thomas to Gaines. One such post stated: “NCAA Reevaluates Medal Distribution, Acknowledges Mistake And Will Transfer Medals from Lia Thomas to Riley Gaines,” and garnered thousands of reactions.
However, the claim began on SpaceXMania, a website that openly states it publishes satire and fake news. The article in question is clearly labeled as satire.
The NCAA confirmed that Lia Thomas and Riley Gaines tied for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships. Greg Johnson, an NCAA spokesperson, told the AP via email that “the results of the race are final.”
Additionally, the NCAA awards trophies for these events, not medals.
Thomas also won the 500-yard freestyle at that championship, becoming the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming title. Gaines did not compete in that race.
Gaines has publicly opposed the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports and recently testified at a House Oversight subcommittee hearing related to proposed Title IX changes that include protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Thomas began her transition in 2019, swimming on the men’s team before joining the women’s team for the 2021–2022 season after meeting NCAA guidelines.
This fact-check is part of the AP’s ongoing effort to counter online misinformation by providing factual context to misleading claims.
