Caitlyn Jenner DEFENDS trans golfer Hailey Davidson's bid to compete on LPGA tour despite slamming Lia Thomas
Caitlyn Jenner, who has constantly criticized transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and her effort to reach the Olympics, has now defended trans golfer Hailey Davidson and her bid to become the first transgender athlete to compete on the LPGA tour. Davidson's attempt has come under scrutiny but Jenner has surprisingly offered support. Jenner competed as a man in the decathlon at two Olympic Games and transitioned fully in 2015. She has criticized Thomas for competing in female swimming competitions because she went through male puberty.
Jenner has now claimed that golf and swimming are different sports considering the skills needed to succeed. "I’ve been very consistent with how I’ve tried to approach these transgender athletes. It really depends on the sport. Every sport is different," Jenner said, according to Fox News. "Obviously, we saw with Lia Thomas, she had gone through male puberty, bigger cardiovascular system, it just wasn’t fair. And fortunately, we won that one." "She’s playing within the rules," Jenner said. "Golf is totally different game. It is a game of touch and feel."
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Jenner told Fox News host John Roberts that she had herself been outperformed by LPGA participants in the past. "These girls are really, really good," Jenner said. She also added that although she does support Davidson's effort, she is not sure whether she really has what is needed to compete in the LPGA Tour. "Honestly, for me, the jury is still out on this one," Jenner said. "I don’t think she’s gonna be in a position where she's gonna be dominating on the LPGA tour. To be honest with you, those girls are so good."
Jenner went on to appreciate Davidson's mother for defending her child when a number of critics argue that her participation is unfair. "To be honest with you, I’m on HaiIey's mom’s side," she said. "They don’t know what it is like to go through a transition, how difficult it is. The mothers do know and Hailey's mom knows what this child has been through and is out there supporting her."
Jenner had spoken up about why she thinks Lia Thomas has an unfair advantage earlier this month. "She has a tremendous advantage over the girls, she’s taller, has bigger hands, her cardiovascular system is bigger, she went through male puberty – all of those things, and it’s just not fair," Jenner said, according to the Daily Mail. "It makes the trans community look selfish and self-absorbed. Lia Thomas even said if you accept me as a woman, you accept me as woman athlete but no, we do not have to accept that." Earlier this year, FINA, the governing body of swimming, barred transgender women athletes from competing in women's sports if they failed to transition before the age of 12.