Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ determination to crown a biological woman as the real winner of one event in the recent NCAA swimming championships is getting national attention.
Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado is advocating a resolution in the House of Representatives, similar to one that DeSantis approved, that recognizes University of Virginia swimmer Emma Weyant as the “rightful winner” of the NCAA Women’s 500-yard freestyle championship.
Weyant, also an Olympic silver medalist, finished second to University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male/transgender woman.
“It’s the women’s race, and a man improperly took the first place title from Emma,” Boebert told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday.
“When it comes to competitive sports, biology should really triumph (over) ideology.”
Boebert added that she wanted to craft the resolution because “I truly believe in giving honor where honor is due and Emma is absolutely worthy of honor.”
Florida’s Republican governor believes the same thing.
Last week, as The Free Press reported, DeSantis announced Florida’s own resolution recognizing Weyant, a Sarasota native, as the true women’s 500-yard champ.
“She’s been an absolute superstar and she had the fastest time of any woman in college athletics. Now the NCAA is basically taking efforts to destroy women’s athletics,” DeSantis said. “They’re trying to undermine the integrity of the competition and they’re crowning somebody else the woman’s champion, and we think that’s wrong. And so this is a Floridian who I think deserves to be recognized.”
The governor added, “We’re doing a proclamation, saying that Emma is the best female swimmer in the 500 [yard] freestyle because she earned that and we need to stop allowing organizations like the NCAA to perpetuate frauds on the public.”
“And that’s exactly what they’re doing. They are putting ideology ahead of opportunity for women athletes.”
Boebert’s House resolution says that Weyant is the “rightful winner” of the race. She pointed out Weyant won the silver medal in the Tokyo games last year, and as part of a relay team, “her consistently strong performance contributed to the University of Virginia’s Women’s Swimming and Diving program winning the 2022 NCAA Division I Championship.”
Weyant “is a role model for girls across the country, described by her coach as ‘driven, goal-oriented and very thorough, hard-working, processed, focused and resilient,’’ the resolution continues.
According to the document, Weyant was also a four-time high school All-American and a Scholastic All-American.
Weyant “logged the fastest time by a woman at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship in the Women’s 500-Yard Freestyle,” Boebert’s resolution continued.
Yet Weyant’s “first-place medal was stolen from her by a man competing in women’s swimming.” Accordingly, the House “recognizes and honors Emma Weyant as the rightful winner of the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s 500-Yard Freestyle.”
“Mediocre male athletes who want first place rather than 450th should simply try harder and not pretend to be something that they’re not,” Boebert told Fox News.
Fox News pointed out her resolution has almost no chance of passing the Democratic-led House. When asked if it was simply a political ploy, Boebert replied, “It’s a very cheap ploy of Lia Thomas to do what he’s done. That’s what’s a cheap ploy here. For a male athlete who was ranking 450th in his own division to pretend to be a woman, so he can then go and crush women’s dreams and careers.”
Seventeen Republicans – and zero Democrats – have co-sponsored Boebert’s resolution, Fox News added.
They include: Reps. Andy Harris of Maryland, Louie Gohmert of Texas, Mary Miller of Illinois, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Jody Hice of Georgia, Matt Rosendale of Montana, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Alex Mooney of West Virginia, Byron Donalds of Florida, Bob Good of Virginia, Vicky Hartzler of Missouri, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Chip Roy of Texas, Brian Mast of Florida, Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, and Rodney Davis of Illinois.
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