Katie Ledecky has remained tight-lipped over the NCAA being named in a lawsuit for allowing trans-swimmer Lia Thomas to participate in the 2022 championships, as she avoided questions on the matter before U.S. Olympic Team Trials on June 15.

Recognized as the most successful female swimmer in history with a record seven Olympic gold medals, Ledecky, 27, was asked about Thomas and the Title IX lawsuit while being profiled by The New York Times, after several collegiate women sued the NCAA, two years ago, alleging their rights were violated when Thomas was allowed to race and change in the women's locker room.

Ledecky, who also holds a record 21 World Championship gold medals, 'preferred not to get into it,' the paper reported. But she did offer to share a general comment.

'I think we're lucky to live in a country where issues can be debated, whether it's that issue or any other issue,' Ledecky - a Medal of Freedom recipient in March - told the NYT. 

'It's how I feel. I think it's important to learn perspectives of others and gain an understanding of things and learn more about where everyone comes from.'

The Maryland native was also asked if she follows political activism within swimming.

'I don't want to get into politics,' Ledecky replied, adding: 'I think everyone has the ability to choose what they feel comfortable with and what they want to speak up for...

'As a current athlete and somebody still competing, I have always tried to just keep my focus on the competition and not get too involved in anything that could become controversial.'

Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines is among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in March. At the 2022 national championships in Atlanta, she raced against Thomas in the 200-yard final but was deprived of a fifth-place trophy despite ending up tied with the trans-swimmer. 

Thomas swam for the University of Pennsylvania. She competed for the men's team at Penn before her gender transition.

Thomas was the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title in any sport, finishing in front of three Olympic medalists for the championship. By not making the final, the lawsuit mentions that Florida swimmer Tylor Mathieu, who was not a plaintiff, was denied first-team All-American honors in that event.

Other plaintiffs included athletes from volleyball and track.

The lawsuit said the plaintiffs 'bring this case to secure for future generations of women the promise of Title IX that is being denied them and other college women' by the NCAA.

'College sports are the premier stage for women's sports in America, and while the NCAA does not comment on pending litigation, the Association and its members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women's sports and ensure fair competition in all NCAA championships,' the NCAA said in a statement.

In 2022, the NCAA revised its policies on transgender athlete participation in what they called an attempt to align with national sports governing bodies.

The third phase of the revised policy adds national and international sports governing body standards to the NCAA's rules and is scheduled to be implemented for the 2024-25 school year.

The lawsuit also lists the University of Georgia system as a defendant because one of its schools, Georgia Tech, hosted the 2022 championships. The suit seeks to halt the NCAA from employing its transgender eligibility policies 'which adversely impact female athletes in violation of Title IX' at upcoming events being held in Georgia.

In March, Thomas asked a Swiss sports court to overturn rules imposed by World Aquatics that stop her from competing in elite women's races, as she said she's being discriminated against.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it registered Thomas' request but no date for a hearing was decided. Confidentiality around a case begun in September was lifted after it was reported in British media. 

World Aquatics agreed on rules in June 2022 that banned transgender women who have been through male puberty from competing in women's races. It also created an 'open' category for which transgender athletes would be eligible. 

Other Olympic sports bodies including track and field and cycling have since adopted similar rules which supporters say acknowledge physical advantages from male puberty that athletes retain long term after transitioning.