The Yale transgender swimmer who stole the spotlight from Ivy League rival Lia Thomas at Saturday's meet held off completing his transition from female to male in order to finish his college career on the women's team.
Iszac Henig, a 20-year-old California native, competed in three events at the meet between Yale, Dartmouth and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, winning all three - including two head-to-head showdowns with Thomas.
Thomas had competed on the UPenn men's team for three years before transitioning and joining the women's team this year, sparking controversy after she shattered longstanding records.
Henig has been a member of Yale's women's team for three years and decided to delay taking hormones for his transition, making him eligible to remain on the squad. He came out to coaches and teammates in April 2021.
'As a student athlete, coming out as a trans guy put me in a weird position. I could start hormones to align more with myself, or wait, transition socially, and keep competing on a women's swim team. I decided on the latter,' he wrote in an opinion piece published in the New York Times in July.
'I value my contributions to the team and recognize that my boyhood doesn't hinge on whether there's more or less testosterone running through my veins. At least, that's what I'll try to remember when I put on the women's swimsuit for the competition and am reminded of a self I no longer feel attached to.'
Iszac Henig still competes on the Ivy League school's women's team after coming out to coaches and teammates in April 2021, and told the New York Times in July that he was not taking hormones because he still wanted to compete
In the women's 400-yard freestyle relay, Iszac Henig again crushed Thomas and his other competitors, completing his leg in 50.45 seconds, giving Yale the number one spot in the competition on the strength of his leg of the race
Trangender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas was crushed in the 100-meter freestyle, finishing fifth - after being beaten by another transgender swimmer, Iszac Henig (left) who is transitioning from female to male. On Saturday, Henig also finished first in the earlier 50-yard freestyle, smashing records. After the race, the 20-year-old, who has had his breasts removed, pulled down the top of his swimsuit
Earlier, at the meet where UPenn competed against Dartmouth and Yale, Thomas won the first of four races by just two seconds - one month after she shattered two women's records with a 38-second margin against her closest competitor. She also narrowly won the 500-yard freestyle by just a second, with bystanders telling DailyMail.com that she seemed to be 'coasting' and 'barely trying'
Henig, who is transitioning from female to male, also finished first in the earlier 50-yard freestyle, smashing records. After the race, the 20-year-old, who has had his breasts removed, pulled down the top of his swimsuit. Parents at the swim meet said they were stunned as Henig won the women's race
Lia Thomas, pictured in lane two (far right), came fifth in the 100 yard freestyle, while Iszac Henig, pictured in lane four (center), won the race
Stunned parents gasped as Yale swimmer, Iszac Henig, easily beat out his opponents in the women's 100-meter freestyle, with a time of 49.57 seconds. Thomas, who finished fifth, finished with a time of 52.84 seconds.
Henig did have his breasts removed and revealed his chest after pulling down the top of his
