“What makes Phelps an authority” - When Michael Phelps' alleged trans ex-girlfriend slammed him over trans swimmers’ debate

The world knows Michael Phelps as the greatest Olympian of all time. With 28 Olympic medals, which include 23 golds, he remains untouched. However, his trans ex-girlfriend Taylor Lianne Chandler thinks differently.

In an exclusive interview with Radar, Chandler criticized the Olympian for being a hypocrite for his stance on trans athletes competing in organized sports. She said,

"What makes Michael Phelps an authority to even speak to trans women competing in swimming?"

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Michael Phelps' alleged trans ex-girlfriend slams his take on Lia Thomas

About a year ago, 16 members of the University of Pennsylvania women's swim team wrote a letter to university and Ivy League officials. They demanded that Lia Thomas be disqualified from the next NCAA championships. The letter read,

"We fully support Lia Thomas in her decision to affirm her gender identity and to transition from a man to a woman... Lia has every right to live her life authentically."

Lia Thomas, a transgender student on the women's swimming team, is 22 years old. The NCAA modified its rules to enable each sport to decide whether transgender athletes are eligible, which is when the 16 unnamed students sent their letter.

Lia Thomas at 2022 Ivy League Women's Swimming and Diving Championships

According to unidentified athletes, if Thomas is permitted to swim against them, she might shatter the Penn, Ivy, and NCAA Women's Swimming records. They assert that as a male athlete, she could never have accomplished any of those things.

Taylor Lianne Chandler opposed the 16 unnamed athletes' plea. She slammed the athletes who wrote the letter, saying,

"The 'teammates' of Lia Thomas come out with a scathing letter stating they don't want to compete against her, but they are not confident enough in their convictions to state their names."

Taylor Lianne Chandler has also linked the role of Penn students to Michael Phelps. She indirectly targeted Phelps, saying,

"Governing bodies should not succumb to outside pressure by people that are not trans and don't have a horse in the race."

While discussing the circumstances surrounding transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, Phelps created controversy.

Taylor Lianne Chandler further criticized Phelps' supremacy due to genetics. She claimed that, among other things, his enormous feet, double-jointed ankles, and 6'7" wingspan give him an unfair advantage over other swimmers. She said:

"Biology of sex is multifaceted and includes genetic sex, hormonal sex and chromosomal sex."

Michael Phelps at the Rio Olympics

Taylor Lianne Chandler is concerned about Thomas' future in the sport. According to her, rules for transgender women in sports should be decided on an individual basis for each discipline.

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Chandler claimed to have been in a relationship with Phelps

Taylor Lianne Chandler claimed she started dating Michael Phelps in August 2014 after meeting him on the dating app Tinder. She gained attention when her relationship with him was made public on September 30, 2014.

By that point, she had developed feelings for the swimmer, who entered rehab in September 2014 after being charged with DUI.

However, there is no proof to support Chandler's assertions. Phelps has not made any public remarks about the alleged connection.