Fact Check: Riley Gaines and Lia Thomas Are Not Going to Paris Olympics 2024

Riley Gaines has been wielding a proverbial axe at the collegiate swimming circle. Her discontent with the NCAA is rooted in her perception of inequality, as she frequently voices concerns about the participation of transgender swimmers in the same competitions as women athletes. Calling herself a victim of this alleged inequality when affiliated with the University of Kentucky NCAA swim team, Gaines’ belief has since led to widespread debate. And now, a divergent theory has challenged the verity of this assertion and rekindled the heavy debate.

Many a time, Riley Gaines has argued that her chances were spoiled when transgender athlete Lia Thomas was allowed to compete in the same pool against her. The University of Kentucky alumna has since gained immense popularity as a political activist, while Thomas has continued to further her swimming career. So when SpaceXMania.com published an article about them on November 15, 2023, it spread like wildfire among online users.

It stated that Riley Gaines has returned to swimming and has earned a ticket to the Paris Olympics 2024. Shifting focus to Lia Thomas, the article communicated that she had been deemed ineligible to compete. The blog site also shared the article on their SpaceX Lovers Facebook page, where readers provided splendid engagement. However, none of the assertions are credible, and the article has been listed as satirical. But rumors on social media have a life cycle that transcends any verification process. Therefore, the complicated theory resurfaced on the SpaceX Fanclub page on Facebook yesterday.

In the 10 hours of the post’s existence, more than two thousand people have reacted to it, and the number keeps increasing. The post comprises a collage of Riley Gaines and Lia Thomas in contrasting poses. Gaines seems to be beaming with pride, while Thomas expresses dejection. The snap contained the words: “Riley Gaines Secures A Spot in 2024 Olympics. Lia Thomas Gets Instant Rejection.” While many believed the story to be true, the flagrant mistruth became apparent by a discerning factoid.

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The US Swimming squad for the Paris Olympics is awaiting finalization

The 2024 Olympic team from the United States is far from being finalized. The US Olympic trials scheduled for June 15-23 in Indianapolis will decide the members of the squad. The strict rules of USA Swimming restrict the number of athletes in each gender category to 26. Therefore, the team does not add members to the squad willy-nilly.

The athletes who win an event in Indianapolis will be guaranteed a spot on the team. So will the top four finishers in the 100m and 200m events. Suffice it to say, neither Lia Thomas nor Riley Gaines have appeared for contention at the trials. So, the report shared by SpaceX Fanclub is nothing but utter falsehood.

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