Michael Phelps has always been vocal about social issues. The swimmer has been among the first athlete to open up about his struggle with mental health issues. Similarly, he was one of the first athletes to talk about Lia Thomas’ participation at the NCAA Division I Championships in the women’s category.

The most decorated swimmer attended an interview with journalist Christiane Amanpour in January. At one point, the interviewer asked the athlete about his thoughts on the issue. At the time of the interview, Thomas’ participation at the meet was a growing topic of debate among the community.

Michael Phelps opines the participation of Lia Thomas in women’s category

Phelps addressed the issue by stating the importance of people being comfortable with their identities. However, he felt the need for even grounds in sports. The 28-time Olympic medalist wanted the conduct of competitions in all fairness.

The swimmer felt that an athlete should not receive any undue advantage over their opponents. The controversy surrounding the transgender athlete first arose when she competed at the Zippy Invitational 2021 in the women’s category. At the meet, she won three events, swimming national record times in two of them.

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When Amanpour asked for the five-time Olympian’s opinion on the issue, he said, “I believe that we all should feel comfortable with who we are in our own skin.” He then added, “But I think sports should all be played on an even playing field.”

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During the interview, the Flying Fish was uncertain about the direction the governing body would head. Expressing this sentiment regarding the future of transgender athletes competing in the women’s category, he continued, “I don’t know what it looks like in the future.” Finding himself at a loss for words, he said, “It’s hard.” Chiming in, the interviewer said, “It’s complicated.”

“It’s very complicated and this is my sport, this has been my sport my whole entire career, and honestly the one thing I would love is everybody being able to compete on an even playing field. That’s all I can say,” the athlete stated.

The decision of the governing body

FINA, the swimming governing body, provided a verdict on trans athletes competing in the women’s category. The association released a 24-page document titled “Policy on Eligibility for the Men’s and Women’s Competition Categories” in June.

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The new policy restricted most trans athletes from competing in the women’s category at prominent meets. However, the federation has stated in the document that they will introduce a new “Open” category.