NBCUniversal has issued an apology and removed the footage from its social media and platform after commentators misgendered transgender athletes during races at the 2026 Winter Olympics this week.
Elise Lundholm, a 23-year-old Swedish skier who was assigned female at birth but identifies as male, was referred to as “she” multiple times while competing in the women’s moguls freestyle division at the Milan-Cortina Games.
In a statement, NBC Sports acknowledged the issue, noting, “We take this matter seriously. Today, we streamed an international feed by a non-NBCUniversal commentator who misgendered Olympian Ellis Lundholm. We sincerely apologize to Ellis and our audience, and we’ve removed that replay.”
Lundholm is the only openly transgender athlete competing in these Games, and her participation aligns with current International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulations. She finished 25th in her event, scoring 12.05 after her first run, which was marred by a glitch during the NBC international broadcast.
During the coverage, a commentator remarked, “But we went off course here…oh, she just slid out of that gate,” and added, “She’s going to jump around and make sure she doesn’t DNF as she continues down the line here.”
Recently, Lundholm shared with Swedish television that she has been treated well since choosing to compete in the women’s division. Responding to the backlash, he mentioned, “Of course, it’s just what I thought…I’m sure people will hear it, but I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and it doesn’t bother me.”
“I came out and identified myself as a man. But I compete with women because they have the same qualifications as me. And that’s fine with everyone,” he continued.
Lundholm’s inclusion in the women’s team falls under the IOC’s 2021 Framework on Fairness, Inclusion, and Non-Discrimination regarding Gender Identity and Gender Diversity, which permits transgender athletes to compete if they receive approval from their national sports federation.
