Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a proclamation that the runner-up in the recent NCAA women’s 500-yard freestyle swimming event is the winner of that race, not Lia Thomas, a man who claims to be a woman.

DeSantis said that Emma Weyant, who really is a woman, is the best female swimming.  “She earned that and we need to stop allowing organizations like the NCAA to perpetuate frauds on the public,” DeSantis said.

Weywant is an Olympic medalist and a Florida native who swims for The University of Virginia. She lost to Thomas by 1.75 seconds. That result made Thomas the first man to win a NCAA women’s swimming championship.

“Now the NCAA is basically taking efforts to destroy women’s athletics,” DeSantis said. “They’re trying to undermine the integrity of the competition, crowning somebody else the women’s champion, and we think that’s wrong.”

Thomas previously swam for the men’s team for The University of Pennsylvania before declaring himself a woman and switching to the women’s squad, with the blessing of the school administration. Bravo for DeSantis for the courage to speak the truth and stand up for women athletes.