(OutKick) In a plot twist that nobody saw coming, Yale transgender swimmer Iszac Henig, who finished the 2021-22 NCAA season as a women’s all-American while transitioning from female to male, is now swimming on the guy’s team and is struggling mightily to not finish in last place at meets.
Perhaps you’ll remember the uproar in December 2021 when OutKick first told you about a male-to-female swimmer named Lia Thomas who was not just beating women’s swimming records at the University of Pennsylvania but destroying those pool and school records.
Thomas went on to win a national championship over three biological female Olympians who never said a word about having their asses beat by a biological male as ESPN cameras rolled.
Iszac Henig breaks the Blodgett Pool record with a winning time of 21.93 seconds in the 50-yard free finals during the 2022 Ivy League Swimming & Diving Championships. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Henig finished as an all-American at the NCAA championships and proved to be a force in the 50 freestyle.
Now a member of the men’s team, Henig struggled to a 79th finish out of 83 swimmers at an Ohio State meet in November but says in a New York Times opinion piece that it’s all good.
“Now I’m a senior, swimming with the men. I’ve been taking hormones for almost eight months; my times are about the same as they were at the end of last season,” Henig writes.
“Right before Thanksgiving we finished a meet against Ohio State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and others. I wasn’t the slowest guy in any of my events, but I’m not as successful in the sport as I was on the women’s team.
Imagine that — a woman eight months into transitioning into a dude finishes 79th out of 83 swimmers.
Did anyone NOT see that result coming?
Lia Thomas smiles with Yale University swimmer Iszac Henig (R) after winning the 100 yard freestyle during the 2022 Ivy League Womens Swimming and Diving Championships. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
Thankfully, Henig isn’t complaining about finishing nearly last.
“Instead, I’m trying to connect with my teammates in new ways, to cheer loudly, to focus more on the excitement of the sport. Competing and being challenged is the best part. It’s a different kind of fulfillment. And it’s pretty great to feel comfortable in the locker room every day.”
Fair enough.
The transgender fairness fight was never about Henig because everyone knew what would happen when the Yale swimmer faced biological male competition. Henig would get destroyed. And that’s exactly what’s happening. Hey wokes, it’s basic science.
At the November Ohio State meet, Henig beat four swimmers in the 50-free. Those four swimmers are:
• 79th place finisher Ilija Tadic, a Serbian who was born without a left forearm and has competed in the Paralympic Games
• Two Ohio State swimmers that specialize in the breaststroke
• A University of Cincinnati swimmer who specializes in the breaststroke and doesn’t even have a 50-free best time listed on his school bio
The breaststroke guys are used to swimming slow compared to the freestylers. Don’t take my word for it, Google it!
50-yard freestyle results from Ohio State meet in November 2022.
