<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-0"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">With caps covering their hair, goggles over their eyes, and sleek suits down to their knees, the eight swimmers on the pool deck looked indistinguishable from one another. They crouched in identical poses: One foot back, head down, rear up, hands dropped forward on the starting block. Together, they waited for the starting signal.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="AudioBlock-1"><figure class="margins-h css-1nhp71k"><figcaption class="css-5soref"><div class="audioFigureHeading"><h3 class="css-71086k">Listen to this article with reporter commentary</h3></div></figcaption><div class="css-1ijhom3"><div><cript type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"AudioObject","@id":"https://static.nytimes.com/podcasts/2025/08/26/us/rr-27NAT-RILEY-GAINES/00NAT-RILEY-GAINES-FINAL-MIX-v1-JSR.mp3","description":"","name":"Listen to this article with reporter commentary","contentUrl":"https://static.nytimes.com/podcasts/2025/08/26/us/rr-27NAT-RILEY-GAINES/00NAT-RILEY-GAINES-FINAL-MIX-v1-JSR.mp3","uploadDate":"2025-08-26T21:42:48.347Z","duration":"PT1.414S"}</script></div></div></figure></div><div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-1"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">It was the evening of March 18, 2022, the women’s 200-yard freestyle final at the N.C.A.A. Division I swimming and diving championships. Small and stacked with international talent, the competition is harder to qualify for than the U.S. Olympic trials.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">That night, the atmosphere in the arena was charged with a tension distinct from the usual intensity of athletic competition. “I’ve never felt a crowd root against anybody before,” said Dan D’Addona, who covered the meet for Swimming World Magazine.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="Dropzone-3"></div><div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-2"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The target was Lia Thomas, a quiet senior from the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Thomas swam competitively for years as a member of the men’s team, before beginning estrogen treatment to transition in 2019, and later switching to racing with the women. Over the course of the 2021-22 season, she became national news, an avatar for churning unease about gender, power, safety, sports, politics, feminism and biology.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="ImageBlock-5"><div data-testid="imageblock-wrapper"><figure aria-label="media" class="img-sz-large css-hxpw2c e1g7ppur0" role="group"><div class="css-1xdhyk6 erfvjey0" data-testid="photoviewer-children-figure"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Image</span><div class="css-nwd8t8" data-testid="lazy-image"><div data-testid="lazyimage-container" style="height:257.77777777777777px"></div></div></div><figcaption class="css-1g9ic6e ewdxa0s0" data-testid="photoviewer-children-caption"><span class="css-jevhma e13ogyst0">Lia Thomas competing at the 2022 N.C.A.A. championships. She won the national title in the 500-yard freestyle. </span><span class="css-14fe1uy e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span><span aria-hidden="false">Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire, via Getty Images</span></span></span></figcaption></figure></div></div><div data-testid="Optimistic-6"><div class="css-kbghgg"><div class="css-121kum4"><div class="css-171d1bw"></div><div class="css-asuuk5"><noscript><div class="css-7axq9l" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="css-1b5b8u1" data-tpl="i" height="24" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24"><path clip-rule="evenodd" d="M2.5 12a9.5 9.5 0 1 1 19 0 9.5 9.5 0 0 1-19 0Zm8.5 1.75v-7.5h2v7.5h-2Zm0 2v2h2v-2h-2Z" fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd"></path></svg><div class="css-6yo1no" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript-message"><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.</p><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.</p></div></div></noscript><div class="css-1dv1kvn" id="optimistic-truncator-a11y" tabindex="-1"><hr/><p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. 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