Nikki Hiltz, a non-binary American runner, advanced to the 1,500-meter semifinals on Tuesday after placing third in the heats.
Although Hiltz was born female and competes in the women’s division, she identifies as transgender and non-binary and is an advocate for transgender women and girls in sports.
“I definitely don’t want my identity to be used as a weapon against my community,” the 29-year-old told reporters in Paris. “I think transgender women are women and have the right to compete in a space where they feel comfortable.”
The debate over the inclusion of transgender women in the Olympics erupted in women’s boxing, when Algeria’s Imane Kherif, who was also born female but failed a gender reassignment test at last year’s world championships, competed in the 66 kg semi-finals.
After being subjected to intense online abuse, Kheriff was in tears after winning his final match.
“This past week has been difficult. There’s been so much hate, transphobia and ignorance,” Hilts said. “It’s forced me to put up barriers and boundaries through social media and things like that, but I think I would have done that anyway.”
After the heat, Hiltz was ecstatic.
“It’s all been about perseverance, which is incredible,” they told NBC. “I think I can now officially call myself an Olympian. It’s been a lot of perseverance over the last month, and even in the race today, I kept telling myself that: perseverance, perseverance, perseverance.”
Hiltz told reporters she would like to see changes to rules in certain sports, including track and field, that make it difficult for transgender women to compete.
2024 Paris Olympics
“I don’t have all the answers as to what that looks like, but I do know that sports has given me so much joy and life lessons along the way,” they said.
The women’s 1500m semifinals will be held on Thursday.
