Tennis icon Martina Navratilova slammed “mediocre” biological males competing in women’s sports Tuesday, amidst a new backlash in NCAA Division III women’s swimming
“Women’s sports is not the place for mediocre male athletes who compete as women. Period,” Navratilova, a nine-time Wimbledon champion, wrote in a tweet.
After competing on the men’s team for three years, Meghan Cortez-Fields, a transgender swimmer at Ramapo College of New Jersey, recently broke a women’s school record. At the Cougar Splash Invitational in Dallas, Pennsylvania, Cortez-Fields secured first place in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 57.22, setting a new record. The transgender athlete also won the 200-yard individual medley and placed second in the 200-yard butterfly, according to Fox News.
Transgender swimmer at New Jersey college,Meghan Cortez-Fields, smashes women’s 100 yard butterfly record after competing in men’s team for three years – I will keep saying this over and over- this is wrong and completely fair and quite frankly a mockery https://t.co/jk9ylxAc5G
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) November 21, 2023
The Ramapo swim team initially celebrated Cortez-Fields’ record on Instagram, but the post was removed following attention from former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines on social media, per Fox News. (RELATED: ‘This Won’t End Well’: Martina Navratilova Blasts Gymnastics Australia For Allowing Males To Compete With Women)
A Ramapo spokesperson stated that the post was deleted by a peer to shield Cortez-Fields from derogatory comments. The college continues to highlight team and individual achievements on its Athletics website, the outlet noted.
“I will keep saying this over and over- this is wrong and completely unfair and quite frankly a mockery,” the tennis champion tweeted.