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Swimming Australia has taken steps to shut down labeled as “false information” and “made-up statements” associated with swimmer Mollie O’Callaghan regarding transgender athlete Lia Thomas.

Online Content Spread False Statements

A comment credited to O’Callaghan but not shared from her social media accounts has appeared in content on Facebook, as well as on Twitter, and implied the Olympic champion would boycott in the Los Angeles Olympics if a transgender swimmer is allowed to participate.

The statement falsely attributed to O’Callaghan included a provocative statement that “sharing a pool with Lia Thomas is really an affront and a disgrace”.

Official Response from Swimming Australia

The national body supported the Olympic champion in a release labeled with “fabricated comments attributed to Dolphin Mollie O’Callaghan”.

“There are currently false statements attributed to Dolphin Mollie O’Callaghan seen on online content,” Swimming Australia said this past Sunday.

“Never has O’Callaghan spoken to media and provided commentary on trans swimmers.

“Meta has been advised of the fabricated stories, and O’Callaghan and the federation have demanded the content to be deleted.”

Latest Developments and Context

Posts that feature the quote credited to O’Callaghan were still online on the platform on the following day, while a platform official stated that “we are reviewing the appeal”.

Swimming Australia refused to give more details.

American trans swimmer Lia Thomas is prohibited from racing in the women’s events under present international swimming rules and could not change the rules in the run-up to the Paris Olympics.

The governing body enacted regulations in recent years which forbid anyone who has gone through “any part of male puberty” from the women’s competition.

Regarding Mollie O’Callaghan

O’Callaghan is a multiple Olympic gold medallist after outpacing fellow Australian Ariarne Titmus in the freestyle event championship race at the Paris event along with participating in several team victories.

O’Callaghan added a 200m freestyle world title to her achievements in Japan in the summer.

O’Callaghan was participating in a short course event in Indiana recently and beat the opponents by nearly two seconds to win the women’s 200m freestyle in a record time of one minute 50.77 seconds.