Swimming Organization Moves to Suppress Fabricated Statements Linked to Star Swimmer Mollie O’Callaghan
Swimming Australia has acted to suppress labeled as “fake news” and “false comments” attributed to Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan about transgender athlete Lia Thomas.
Online Posts Spread Inaccurate Claims
A comment credited to O’Callaghan but not posted from her online platforms has appeared in updates on the social media site Facebook, as well as on X, and implied the elite athlete would refuse to compete in the Los Angeles Olympics if a trans athlete is permitted to compete.
The statement falsely attributed to O’Callaghan contained a inflammatory statement that “competing in the same pool with Lia Thomas is truly an affront and a shame”.
Official Statement from Swimming Australia
The organization stood by the star swimmer in a release headlined with “false statements associated with Dolphin Mollie O’Callaghan”.
“Currently, we see made-up comments credited to team member Mollie O’Callaghan circulating on social media posts,” the federation announced on Sunday.
“Not at any point has O’Callaghan spoken to media and made statements on trans swimmers.
“Facebook’s parent company has been advised of the fabricated stories, and O’Callaghan and Swimming Australia have requested the items to be removed.”
Latest Developments and Background
Posts that include the quote linked to O’Callaghan were still online on the platform on the following day, while a Meta spokesperson commented that “we are reviewing the request”.
The organization refused to give further comment.
United States trans swimmer Lia Thomas is barred from participating in the female category under existing international swimming rules and could not change the regulations in the lead up to the Olympic event.
World Aquatics enacted guidelines in recent years which ban anyone who has experienced “any phase of puberty as a male” from the female category.
About Mollie O’Callaghan
O’Callaghan is a multiple champion after outpacing compatriot Ariarne Titmus in the freestyle event final at the 2024 Paris Games along with participating in four winning relays.
The 21-year-old earned a freestyle global championship to her accolades in Japan in the summer.
O’Callaghan was racing in a short course competition in the United States recently and beat the competitors by a significant margin to win the women’s 200m freestyle in a Commonwealth record of 1:50.77.
