Transgender UPenn swimmer, 22, who used to compete as a man, destroys her ...

Video posted online shows the moment a transgender swimmer and senior at the University of Pennsylvania, who had spent three years competing as a man, smashed two US records while competing in a weekend contest - sparking new claims of unfairness.

Lia Thomas, 22, put in an astounding performance at the Zippy Invitational Event in Akron, Ohio on Sunday, when she finished the 1,650 yard freestyle 38 seconds ahead of her teammate, Anna Sofia Kalandaze. 

Thomas's winning time was 15:59:71, with her UPenn teammate Anna Kalandaze coming second with a time of 16:37:44. 

Thomas's win was a record for the Zippy Meet, and the pool where the event took place. 

Video from the meet shows Thomas starting out a full torso length ahead of her closest competitor, eventually becoming half a lap, and then nearly a full lap, ahead of her nearest opponent.

She consistently finished the laps at quicker speeds than her opponents, and when she won, the scoreboard flashed her record-setting time to complete the race, at 15:59:71.

It was the third record Thomas was able to beat at the Zippy Invitational over the weekend. 

The first US record was broken on Friday, December 3, when Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:34:06. She raced to victory 14 seconds ahead of Kalandaze - the swimmer she beat by 38 seconds on Sunday.

And then on Saturday, she won the 200 yard freestyle in 1:41:93 - seven seconds ahead of her nearest rival, giving her the fastest female US time ever for that race too.  

It's the first season Thomas, who was formerly named Will, has competed in the swimming meets as a transgender woman. As Will, Thomas competed on the men's team for two full seasons.

Her success, though, has drawn criticism from some claiming she has an unfair advantage, as those who were born male tend to have more upper-body strength.

According to NCAA regulations, any transgender female athlete can take part in women's events if they have completed a year of testosterone suppression treatment.

The victory on Sunday comes after Thomas also won three events and set three new school records including two new Ivy League records.

On Friday night, Thomas managed to win the 500-yard freestyle in 4:34.06. The result set a new record, Akron pool record, Penn school record and the Ivy League record. 

On Saturday she won the 200 free with a pool, meet and program record time of 1:41.93, some 7 seconds clear of second place.  

The winning result also meets The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) standard required to qualify which means Thomas will be automatically entered to compete in the national championship meet in Atlanta next March. 

Thomas also took part in a 200 freestyle relay, 400 medley relay coming fourth  and 50-yard freestyle sprint in which she came sixth.  

But as Thomas continues to crush records in women's events, it has also sparked outrage amid controversy surrounding transgender athletes. 

It is unknown when Thomas began transitioning, but NCAA rules state she had to have completed one year of testosterone suppression treatment in order to compete. 

Critics say trans female athletes can still have considerable advantages over their cisgender female rivals, because of height and weight advantages they may retain even after hormone treatment. 

Thomas's last known men's event was November 16, 2019. 

Earlier this year, Thomas said she felt grateful in being allowed to keep swimming.

'The process of coming out as being trans and continuing to swim was a lot of uncertainty and unknown around an area that's usually really solid,' she told Penn Today in June. 'Realizing I was trans threw that into question. Was I going to keep swimming? What did that look like?' 

Nevertheless, Thomas' participation has led to criticism on social media.

'This should outrage every person who's ever advocated for women in athletics,' wrote Jessica Cole.

'A disgrace for all the hard working female swimmers,' added Claude Gregory.  

Two weeks ago, during a tri-meet with Cornell and Princeton universities on November 20, the senior 'blasted' UPenn records in the 200m and 500m freestyle - posting times that beat almost every other female swimmer across America.

With a time of 1:43:47 in the 200m freestyle, Thomas would have been in line to secure a silver medal at the NCAA Women's Championships, while her 4:35:06 in the 500m freestyle would have been good enough to win bronze. 

PennAthletics declares:'Because of her strong swims in the 200 and 500 free this weekend, she will have a chance to become the first transgender student-athlete to be a Division I All-American, or even national champion.' 

Thomas is the first trans woman to compete in NCAA women's swimming since Natalie Fahey, from Illinois, took part in the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference swimming championships. 

Thomas' participation in the sport is the latest controversy in the ongoing argument over whether trans people should be allowed to compete alongside athletes of their chosen gender, with particular debate over whether it's fair for trans female athletes to compete against cis female rivals . 

Speaking in June to Penn Today, the university's newspaper, about her ability to continue competing as a trans athlete, Thomas said: 'Being trans has not affected my ability to do this sport and being able to continue is very rewarding.'  

Thomas, who is co-chair of the Penn Non-Cis club, for trans and non-cisgender people, also said at the time that swimming is 'a huge part of my life and who I am.'

'I've been a swimmer since I was five years old. The process of coming out as being trans and continuing to swim was a lot of uncertainty and unknown around an area that's usually really solid. Realizing I was trans threw that into question. Was I going to keep swimming? What did that look like?'

She also said: 'One of my big concerns for trans people is feeling alone. Even if you don't pay attention to the news … [about] states proposing and passing vicious anti-trans legislation, it can feel very lonely and overwhelming. 

Lia's success has reignited the debate, as she was a key component in her team's success in the 400m freestyle relay, and she swept the board when it came to 100m, 200m and 500m freestyle individual events. 

Several people have voiced their anger over Thomas' recent success in the women's events. 

Sport performance coach Linda Blade responded to Thomas' most recent event by saying: 'Well of course women's records are being smashed! Lia competed as male for first three years in #NCAA. This is not right! 

'We need to return to #SexBasedSports! #SexNotGender to preserve fairness for female athletes.'

One person said: 'How many people were involved in this swim meet and not one of them stood up and said this is wrong?'  

While a third said: 'How can anybody look at that and say that it is fair for Lia Thomas to swim against women?'

Another user was outraged that his daughters, who swim competitively, have 'worked their a**es off' to get where they are for Thomas to dominate the sport. 

'My two daughters swim competitively. They practice 3-4 times a week almost year round. My girls and many others work their ass off for years and even decades. This kind of shit angers me to no end. This is not progress.' 

A Pennsylvania user agreed, commenting: 'I stand by you and your girls sir! This is ridiculous on so many levels! And 'Lia Thomas' has the nerve to say that competition so far has been very rewarding? Yeah I bet! Since you're a man competing against women! This should not be allowed?' 

Others played on the swimmer's chosen name and saying she should 'add the 'r,'' while others refused to reference Thomas as a female. 

'He has changed his name from Will to Lia Thomas. He forgot to add the 'r' to the end of his new name,' one said.  

'A MAN named Lia Thomas smashed college records,' another wrote. 

A third said: 'Imagine being the women in second

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