This week, a biological male athlete who identifies as “transgender” secured “her” eighth world fencing title in a competition against female athletes.
According to Outkick, the athlete, Liz Kocab, is a 6’1” biological male. Kocab defeated female athlete Marja-Liisa Someroja, who is from Finland.
🧵Female fencer, Marja-Liisa Someroja from Finland has been denied her 2nd consecutive World Title in a rematch against the 6'1" male fencer.
— ICONS (@icons_women) October 16, 2023
According to another female fencer, most competitors have been completely unaware they are dueling a manhttps://t.co/OfbTr95gkC pic.twitter.com/fh41LSWAsM
On X, formerly known as Twitter, women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines called Kocab an “entitled cheat.”
Liz Kocab (male) wins his 8th Fencing World Championship title...in the women's category
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 16, 2023
Winning a title as a male in the women's category doesn't make you a champion. It makes you an entitled cheat. pic.twitter.com/9dRNRydtUE
As Townhall reported, Gaines was forced to compete and share a locker room with Will “Lia” Thomas, a male who believes he’s “transgender.” Thomas competed against female swimmers after competing on the men’s team for three consecutive years. At the NCAA championships, Thomas and Gaines, who attended the University of Kentucky, tied in a race, but Thomas was permitted to take home the trophy. Gaines left empty handed.
This month, Gaines slammed a Democrat state representative in Wisconsin who suggested that women who lose against male-bodied athletes need to “work harder” and that parents concerned about transgender infiltrating women’s sports were being “selfish.”
That's like someone saying to Rep Considine "if you want to grow hair on that bald, shiny head of yours, then just grow hair." https://t.co/k1dgzIW7rZ
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 13, 2023
Marshi Smith, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), said “This man will retire as one of the greatest women’s fencers of all time because @FIE_fencing and @Olympics made female fencing a joke.”
This man will retire as one of the greatest women’s fencers of all time because @FIE_fencing and @Olympics made female fencing a joke. https://t.co/pGDKIELMBK
— Marshi Smith 🏊🏼♀️🇰🇷🇺🇸 (@SmithMarshi) October 16, 2023
Kocab reportedly said that he previously considered leaving the sport.
“I wanted to support USA Fencing, I really did,” Kocab said. “Otherwise, I was actually thinking of stepping away. But the fact that it was in America, I thought that was important to support the USA. This is my way of saying thanks to USA Fencing.”