Who is Iszac Henig? Yale Trans swimmer beats fellow Trans athlete Lia Thomas and sets record for women’s 50-metre freestyle

Yale University's swimmer Iszac Henig defeated Lia Thomas, a transgender from the University of Pennsylvania, in an Ivy League swimming competition.

In the women's swim meet, Thomas was defeated twice, first in the 100-meter freestyle competition and then in the 400-meter freestyle relay.

Thomas topped Ivy League-rivals Dartmouth and Yale by a mere two seconds in the first of her four races. This took place just one month after breaking two women's records with a 38-second margin against her closest rival. Additionally, she won the 500-meter freestyle by only a second.

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The swim meet was held at University of Pennsylvania's pool in Philadelphia. Yale swimmer Iszac Henig finished the 100-meter freestyle in 49.57 seconds, and easily beat his opponents. Thomas placed fifth at 52.84 seconds.

Henig completed the 400-meter freestyle relay in 50.45 seconds, crushed Thomas and his fellow competitors, and led Yale to victory. Thomas finished her lap of the race in 51.94 seconds.

Additionally, Henig also achieved first place in the 50-meter freestyle, when he clocked in a time of 22.76 seconds.

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After the competition, Henig pulled down his swimming costume to reveal his body since he recently got his breasts removed. This move angered some of the parents that were present in the audience.

Talking to news outlet Daily Mail, a parent called Henig a "man" who defeated his competitors in a women's team.

Another parent said everything is messed up.

"I can't wrap my head around this. The NCAA needs to do something about this. They need to put science into the decision and discussion."

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Who is Iszac Henig?

Hailing from Palo Alto, California, Iszac Henig is a senior at Yale University and is currently transitioning from female to male. Henig now uses pronouns he/him.

The 20-year-old swimmer specializes in butterfly and freestyle swimming. Henig announced his sexual orientation to his teammates last year, and despite having his breasts removed, decided not to take testosterone in order to stay on the women's team.

In an opinion piece written in media outlet New York Times in July 2021, Iszac Henig talked about his transitioning and recalled that being open about his orientation put him in an uncomfortable space.

"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."

"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."

As per his Yale University profile, before joining the institution, Iszac Henig served as the captain of his high school swimming team. He holds a record in 50, 100, 200, and 500-meter freestyle swimming.