'I was terrified': Olympic swimmer says Lia Thomas bumped into her with 'his male genitalia' in NCAA locker room

2016 Olympian and former NCAA swimmer Reka Gyorgy recalled a terrifying experience she had during an interaction with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.

Thomas, who previously went by William, was a men's NCAA swimmer who was ranked 554 against men before allegedly becoming female, after which he won an NCAA championship.

Thomas sparked worldwide controversy that eventually led to rule changes that prevent men from competing against women in swimming at elite-level meets, including the Olympics.

Gyorgy has since released a video detailing her experience when running into Thomas at the NCAA championships in the women's locker room.

In the video, provided to Blaze News by women's advocacy group ICONS, Gyorgy recalled seeing Thomas in the change room.

"I opened the locker room door and was about to turn around ... when I physically bumped into Thomas," she explained.

The 5'9" swimmer said she was surprised by the stature of Thomas, whose genitals then made contact with her.

"I was shocked by his size. He was about six foot, four inches tall. I was shocked that as he bumped into me, his male genitalia was touching my hand that was stuck between us as he was leaving the locker room."

"I couldn't even say sorry; I froze," Gyorgy said. "He just smiled at me and said 'sorry,' in a male voice."

The former All-American athlete complained that female swimmers didn't even get their own locker room at the championship event and revealed that she was "repeatedly" looking over her shoulder while she was changing.

"I was terrified knowing he could walk in on me at any second as I changed into my swimsuit and the private areas of my body would be exposed to this man."

Video courtesy Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS)

Gyorgy told Blaze News that she never spoke to Thomas again apart from that incident.

The Hungarian joins other former NCAA swimmers, like Riley Gaines, who have spoken out about interactions with Thomas.

"Top eight women in the entire country, and you’ve got a 6'4" man in a women's swimsuit with the bulge next to a woman wearing only a Speedo with nothing covering her top," Gaines told Joe Rogan in May 2024.

Gaines added that when she actually tied Thomas in a race, there was only one trophy and it went to the male athlete. Gaines recalled asking an official why Thomas was the one getting the trophy:

"His face changed, he looked sad, his voice changed. I could tell he didn't even believe what he was about to say, but this official looked at me and said, 'Riley, I am so sorry, but we have been advised as an organization that when photos are being taken, it's crucial that the trophy is in Lia's hands.'"

Gyorgy is now the director of operations for the swim and dive teams at Virginia Tech.

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