The intersex 'ex-partner' of Michael Phelps has hit out following the Olympic legend’s comments regarding transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.
Last year the 22-year-old Thomas, who was born male but is currently transitioning to female, smashed US records in the 1,650-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle events while representing the University of Pennsylvania.
Phelps said he believes "sports should all be played on an even playing field", which prompted a response from Taylor Lianne Chandler.
Chandler was born with male genitalia but no testicles and a uterus but no ovaries, and claims she once dated Phelps which he has yet to provide a comment on.
As an advocate and staunch campaigner for transgender rights, she branded the sporting icon a “hypocrite”.
"He doesn't fully understand the science, advantages or disadvantages. [He's] a hypocrite for saying it should be a level playing field,” Chandler told Rader.
"He is genetically superior with his 6'7" wingspan, double-jointed ankles and huge feet.
"His chemical composition allows him to breathe in and fill his lungs and hold his breath longer.
"[He also has] the chemical advantages of having ADHD, which comes with added strength and endurance."
Phelps, who won an astounding 23 Olympic gold medals, suggested transgender athletes are comparable to competitors who take performance enhancing drugs.
This enraged Chandler further, who fired back: "Even he says that he never competed on a level playing field, inferring doping, and they still could not beat him.
"In that moment of watching and hearing him say those things, it felt like a literal slap in the face.
"I felt like I was good enough to love, lay with and be with, but not be respected or allowed in the women's sport of swimming, like I was not a woman, but rather an alien or God-knows-what.
"It can't be a woman's sport if it doesn't include all women, period."
Last December Thomas spoke out against some of the comments she received for her achievements, saying that despite being trans, she should be able to compete in the women’s division.
"I've experienced a lot of muscle loss and strength loss," she explained to SwimSwam.
"[Swimming has] been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember.
"Pre-transition there was a lot of uncertainty about my future in swimming and whether or not I'd be able to keep swimming at all and so I'm just thrilled to be able to continue to swim.
"I love to compete and I just love to see how fast I can go. It's sort of an ongoing evolution of what I think I can go based on how my training sort of progresses and evolves."
