György lost an NCAA swimming final spot to Lia Thomas in 2022 and filed a petition with two other swimmers for Virginia regulations separating biological males from female athletics. The Virginia Board of Health unanimously approved the petition under former Gov. Youngkin in August 2025, but Spanberger's administration withdrew it in July 2026 without public announcement.
Olympic swimmer György criticizes Virginia governor for withdrawing female sports regulation
Réka György lost her opportunity to compete in an NCAA Division I Women's Swimming final after finishing 17th in preliminaries, displaced by transgender competitor Lia Thomas who won the national title.