Lia Thomas has hit out against her harshest critics, claiming that her treatment hasnโ€™t been warranted at all.

The transgender swimmer has found her name in the newspaper headlines over the past 12 months after she shattered a number of womenโ€™s records in the pool.

Thomasโ€™ impressive results sparked huge debate among sports fans with some supporting the inclusivity on show from the University of Pennsylvania, while others slammed it as being unfair to the girls she was competing against.

Lia Thomas.
Alamy

The hot topic has subsequently seen Thomasโ€™ name dragged through the mud as she has been subject to some pretty vile comments online.

Now the 23-year-old has decided to finally break her silence and speak out.

'I'm Not A Man': Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas Hits Out At Critics Following Huge Backlash

โ€œThe very simple answer is that Iโ€™m not a man,โ€ she toldย Sports Illustrated.

โ€œIโ€™m a woman, so I belong on the womenโ€™s team. Trans people deserve that same respect every other athlete gets.

โ€œI just want to show trans kids and younger trans athletes that theyโ€™re not alone. They donโ€™t have to choose between who they are and the sport they love.โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t know exactly what the future of my swimming will look like after this year, but I would love to continue doing it. I want to swim and compete as who I am.โ€

In her first year swimming for the UPenn womenโ€™s team, following three seasons competing against men, Thomas smashed a bunch of age-old American collegiate records.

Her performances in the pool resulted in an influx of complaints from rival swimmers, even her own teammates, claiming that Thomas shouldnโ€™t be able to compete against other women.

The majority of UPenn swimmers and their parents coming forward decided to remain anonymous, although the comments spilled out onto other social media channels with other users having their say on the matter.

But according to Sports Illustrated, the online backlash became so bad that Thomas was forced to deactivate some direct messaging on her Instagram account.

โ€œI donโ€™t look into the negativity and the hate,โ€ she added.

โ€œI am here to swim.

โ€œIโ€™m a woman, just like anybody else on the team. Iโ€™ve always viewed myself as just a swimmer. Itโ€™s what Iโ€™ve done for so long; itโ€™s what I love.โ€ Sheโ€™s not thinking about wins or records, she insists. โ€œI get into the water every day and do my best.โ€

Prior to transitioning, Thomas admitted she โ€œI felt offโ€ and โ€œdisconnected with my bodyโ€.

saidโ€I was very depressed,โ€ Thomas says.

โ€œI got to the point where I couldnโ€™t go to school. I was missing classes.

โ€œMy sleep schedule was super messed up. Some days I couldnโ€™t get out of bed. I knew at that moment I needed to do something to address this.โ€