A post shared on Facebook claims the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) has shifted all of Lia Thomas’ medals to Riley Gaines.
Verdict: False
The claim is false and appears to originate via a December 2023 article shared on the satire site “SpaceX Mania.” A spokesperson for the NCAA denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Gaines referred to the co-hosts of “The View” as “deranged” and “out of touch” while discussing a resolution that would prohibit transgender women from using women’s restrooms at the U.S. Capitol, according to Fox News. The co-hosts of “The View” offered their support to transgender Democratic Delaware Rep-Elect Sarah McBride amid the issue, the outlet reported.
The Facebook post claims the NCAA has shifted all of Thomas’ medals to Gaines. “NCAA’s Final Decision ‘All Medals Owned By Lia Thomas Will Be Shifted To Riley Gaines,” the post reads. “‘We Made A Huge Mistake,’” it continues. The post, which features an image of Thomas and Gaines, does not provide a source to support its claim.
The claim is false and appears to originate via a December 2023 article shared on the satire site “SpaceX Mania.” The website’s “Disclaimer” page indicates its content is not meant to be taken literally.
“Please note that [articles] under the category ‘SATIRE’ are satirical in nature and are not meant to be taken seriously. These articles are meant to be humorous and are often entirely made up. We make no claim that the information presented in these articles is true or accurate,” the page reads.
“Readers should exercise caution and use their own judgment when reading and interpreting our satirical articles. We take no responsibility for any actions taken based on the content of these articles,” it adds.
Check Your Fact also found no reference to the purported claim on the NCAA’s website or its verified social media accounts. Neither Thomas nor Gaines has publicly commented on the claim.
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Nov. 20, PolitiFact debunked the claim. (RELATED: Claim Adam Schiff Paid Boys Family Millions In Damages Is Satire)
Furthermore, an NCAA spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“No your inquiry regarding Lia Thomas isn’t true. There are no medals awarding in the DI Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. The top eight finishers in the final of all events receive trophies. Riley Gaines and Lia Thomas tied in the event that you are referencing so they both received 5th place trophies,” the spokesperson said.