Swimming Organization Takes Action to Suppress Fabricated Comments Linked to Star Swimmer Mollie O’Callaghan
Swimming Australia has acted to suppress what it calls “fabricated stories” and “false comments” attributed to Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan regarding trans swimmer Lia Thomas.
Online Content Spread False Statements
A comment attributed to O’Callaghan but not posted from her official profiles has appeared in updates on Meta platform Facebook, as well as on X, and suggested the elite athlete would refuse to compete in the 2028 Olympics if a transgender swimmer is permitted to compete.
These words incorrectly linked to O’Callaghan contained a controversial remark that “sharing a pool with Lia Thomas is really an disgrace and a embarrassment”.
Formal Statement from the Federation
The national body supported the star swimmer in a statement headlined with “fabricated comments attributed to Australian team member Mollie O’Callaghan”.
“Currently, we see made-up comments attributed to Dolphin Mollie O’Callaghan appearing on social media posts,” the federation stated on Sunday.
“Not at any point has O’Callaghan spoken to media and given remarks on trans swimmers.
“The platform has been notified of the false information, and O’Callaghan and the federation have asked the posts to be deleted.”
Latest Developments and Context
Posts that contain the comment credited to O’Callaghan were still online on the platform on the following day, while a Meta spokesperson said that “we are looking into the demand”.
The federation declined to make further comment.
United States transgender athlete Lia Thomas is banned from competing in the women’s division under current World Aquatics rules and was unable to challenge the policies in the run-up to the Paris Olympics.
The international federation introduced rules in recent years which prohibit anyone who has experienced “any part of male puberty” from the women’s division.
Regarding Mollie O’Callaghan
O’Callaghan is a five-fold champion after beating fellow Australian Ariarne Titmus in the freestyle event championship race at the recent Olympics along with participating in four winning relays.
O’Callaghan earned a freestyle world championship crown to her accolades in Tokyo in July this year.
O’Callaghan was competing in a short course competition in the United States recently and defeated the competitors by almost two seconds to win the 200-meter event in a Commonwealth record of one minute 50.77 seconds.