Caitlyn Jenner slammed the NCAA for 'not being tough enough' over its decision to allow transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas to compete in its national championships this week - and claimed the 22-year-old 'was taking it easy' so she wouldn't smash Katie Ledecky's world record.
Jenner, 72, who competed in the 1976 Olympics as Bruce Jenner and transitioned to female in 2015, said she has 'no problem with Lia Thomas,' but rather blames the NCAA for going 'all the way up to the Olympic Committee.'
'[Thomas'] playing within the rules. What I've said from the beginning [are] the rules aren't tough enough,' Jenner said of the hot button issue on Fox News. 'Just being on testosterone depressants for a year or two, whatever the rules are now, they keep changing, obviously, it is not enough.'
Thomas has become the icon on transgender athletes, especially male to female, and brought forward the discussion to the national standpoint.
Jenner went on to say that she figured Thomas took it 'very easy' in the pool, so she wouldn't break any records. However, Thomas did win the 500-yard finals last night and placed second in the 200m free swim preliminary race today.
Thomas was nine seconds short of breaking Olympian Katie Ledecky's world record in the 500-yard freestyle.
'Lia Thomas just dominated in the pool, and I'm sure she took it quite easily because she did not want to win by too much,' the I am Cait star said.
'I think she was probably taking it very easy in the race because she knew the world was watching, and she's just going to go fast enough to be able to win the race,' Jenner said on Fox News.
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![Olympian and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner, 72, slammed the NCAA for 'not being tough enough' with the rules and allowing transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, 22, to compete. 'What I've said from the beginning [are] the rules aren't tough enough,' she said. 'Just being on testosterone depressants for a year or two, whatever the rules are now, they keep changing, obviously it is not enough'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/03/18/20/55529219-10628723-image-m-92_1647634271962.jpg)
Olympian and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner, 72, slammed the NCAA for 'not being tough enough' with the rules and allowing transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, 22, to compete. 'What I've said from the beginning [are] the rules aren't tough enough,' she said. 'Just being on testosterone depressants for a year or two, whatever the rules are now, they keep changing, obviously it is not enough'
Thomas (pictured with her trophy on Thursday) said she tries to 'ignore' the criticism and backlash she faces as a trans-athlete, but Jenner said she 'can't block it all out' and 'banning all trans-athletes, that's not fair'
The Olympian also said she wanted to sit down and talk with Thomas 'for an hour' to hear her out on her 'motivation,' but slid past revealing if she had actually reached out to the college student.
'Honestly, I would love to talk to Lia Thomas,' the father of Kylie and Kendall Jenner said on Friday. 'I would love to sit down for an hour and discuss this issue with her. I don't think she's done anything wrong. She's played by the rules, but I want to know what her motivation is. If she feels good about this, what's going on in her head?'
Yesterday, after winning the 500-yard freestyle, Thomas told an ESPN reporter that she just tries to 'ignore' the backlash and criticism she faces as a trans-athlete. Jenner agreed trans-athletes received a ton of criticism because there's 'just very few of them.'
'The trans-athlete is such a small, small part of athletics,' Jenner said on Friday.
Jenner defended her controversial statement earlier this month that she doesn't think 'biological boys should compete in women's sports.' Despite her disagreement with Thomas' eligibility to compete she said she has 'no problem' with Thomas and the swimmer was 'playing within the rules'
'Ok, I get that,' she said of Thomas' response to criticism. 'She's tried to block it all out, but it's almost impossible to block that stuff out that she's doing. I respect her 100 per cent, and we live in a free country to live authentically, the greatest gift in my life and I hope it is the best for her.
'But also with that comes some integrity about what you are doing. She can't block it all out because obviously I think she could have swam that race a lot faster and she didn't because she didn't want to get too much attention.
'I would just love to have the opportunity to talk to her and find out what's in her head.'
Co-host John Roberts also
