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After Lia Thomas, Another Trans Athlete Makes Headlines Over Fresh College Record

Published 11/23/2023, 9:15 AM EST

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The NCAA Championships have become a boilerplate for the steamy controversy that is set to change the face of the sport. The debate surrounding the inclusion of transgender athletes in the gender category of their choice has entered a gray area. As for trans athletes such as Lia Thomas, the scrutiny has intensified. Now, the trans swimmer has broken her school record which will fuel this controversy even further.

Meghan Cortez-Fields was born a biological male and had joined the college’s swim team as so. However, after three nondescript seasons of swimming in the men’s category, she decided to transition and compete in the women’s category. Nevertheless, her success is now overshadowed by the transgender athlete controversy and is adding another layer of drama to collegiate sports.

Meghan Cortez-Fields’s triumph fueling transgender athlete debate

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According to The Patriot Project, Meghan Cortez-Fields has become the subject of the internet’s rage. The swimming fans are furious about her choice to compete in the women’s events at the Cougar Splash Invitational in Dallas. The critics questioning the authenticity of her gender identity and feel this was a strategic move. The fact that Meghan Cortez-Fields could not secure any substantial victories during her three years of collegiate swimming as a man, strengthened their belief. They chose to overlook her recent triumphs at the Dallas meet where Cortez-Fields had three podium finishes.

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She won the 100-yard butterfly in 57.22 seconds and made the Ramapo school record. Cortez-Fields also won the 200-yard individual medley and took the second place in the 200-yard butterfly. Her triumphant week landed her in the middle of the heated battle between Riley Gaines and Lia Thomas.

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Riley Gaines stirs at the transgender issue

Riley Gaines yielded the proverbial axe and chopped at the sides of Ramapo College. Ever since the Lia Thomas controversy erupted, she has been the biggest champion for maintaining the sanctity of women’s sports. Thus, when Meghan Cortez-Fields earned those accolades she could not brook her displeasure. Gaines took a jab at the college and the athlete in an X post writing, “Ramapo College swimmer in NJ goes from less than mediocre male swimmer to a record smasher competing against the women. Hm, where have we seen this before?” Soon afterwards the college deleted their celebratory post about Cortez-Fields.

After the Heated Lia Thomas X Riley Gaines Controversy, Swimming Honors Trans Athletes in Sports With an Exclusive Category

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Seeing this, Riley Gaines once again tweeted, “They always hate the public attention after being called out for their discrimination and mistreatment of women”. She also called out Cortez-Fields in a Fox News appearance and mocked her newfound success. What can be the acceptable resolution for both parties? Comment with your thoughts below.

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Written by:

Anchal Ahuja

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I am Anchal Ahuja, an Olympic Sports writer at EssentiallySports. My love for sports grew when I first watched Olympics when I was 7-years-old. Growing up as I started to delve deeper into the sporting realm, I decided to move on with my new passion with all new hopes to get success.
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Edited by:

Suman Varandani