Swimming Australia has taken steps to combat misinformation surrounding swimmer Mollie O’Callaghan, specifically regarding quotes attributed to her about transgender athlete Lia Thomas. This misinformation surfaced on social media platforms, including Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), suggesting O’Callaghan would not participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Games if transgender athletes are allowed to compete.
Mollie O’Callaghan Addresses Fabricated Quotes
A statement, which included a claim that sharing the pool with Lia Thomas is “truly an insult and a disgrace,” was falsely associated with O’Callaghan. Swimming Australia issued a clear statement referring to these remarks as “fake quotes attributed to Dolphin Mollie O’Callaghan.”
- Swimming Australia confirmed that O’Callaghan has never been interviewed regarding her views on transgender athletes.
- The organization requested the removal of these posts from social media.
- As of Monday, the inaccurate quotes were still visible on Facebook.
Meta’s Response
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, acknowledged the request for an investigation into the matter. However, it has yet to take the posts down. Swimming Australia has refrained from making further comments beyond their initial statement.
Background on Lia Thomas
Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete, is currently barred from participating in the female category due to guidelines instituted by World Aquatics in 2022. These regulations state that individuals who have experienced any part of male puberty cannot compete in female events.
O’Callaghan’s Recent Achievements
The 21-year-old O’Callaghan is a distinguished athlete with five Olympic gold medals, having won the 200m freestyle final at the 2024 Paris Games against fellow Australian Ariarne Titmus. Earlier this year, she secured a world championship title in Tokyo for the same event.
Most recently, O’Callaghan exhibited an impressive performance at a World Cup short course meet in Indiana, winning the women’s 200m freestyle with a Commonwealth record time of 1:50.77, finishing nearly two seconds ahead of her competitors.
