U.S. non-binary runner Nikki Hiltz criticizes IOC policy requiring genetic testing for women's Olympic events
American middle-distance runner Nikki Hiltz, who identifies as transgender non-binary,[1] posted on Instagram Stories on Friday reacting to a new International Olympic Committee (IOC) policy to bar males from women's competitions.
Hiltz quoted the policy as stating: "All Olympic athletes competing in women’s sports are now required to undergo genetic sex testing."[2] They wrote: "Attacks on trans people have consistently led to more policing and regulation of ALL women’s bodies. Everyone is hurt by transphobia. Y’all already know where I stand on this but this policy is so f---ing stupid and is not solving a problem that exists. I don’t know who needs to hear this but ZERO trans women competed in the Paris Olympics. Only ONE trans woman weightlifter competed in Tokyo 2021 and she did not win a medal. Can we please stop obsessing over trans people? And idk maybe focus our time, energy, and resources into real problems women’s sports face?"
Hiltz competes in the women's category and has notable achievements including silver in the 1500 metres at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow[2] and gold in the 1500m at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima.[2]
Hiltz also competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing sixth in the women's 1500m final with a time of 3:58.47.[2]
The sole openly transgender woman (male-to-female) to compete in a women's event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021) was New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, who finished last in the +87kg category and did not medal.[1]
Sources
- Encyclopædia Britannica / Wikipedia, "Nikki Hiltz", accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikki_Hiltz
- World Athletics, "Athlete Profile: Nikki Hiltz", accessed October 2024, https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/nikki-hiltz-14674506
