Transgender and non-binary middle-distance runner Nikki Hiltz created history at the U.S. Olympic trials by finishing the women’s 1500-metre race in a record-breaking 3:55:33, the second-fastest time ever recorded by an American.
Hiltz’s outstanding effort allowed them to surge ahead of Emily Mackay and Elle St. Pierre in the last lap, guaranteeing their spot in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where they will compete for the first time. Interestingly, according to OutSports, every one of the top eight finishers set a new personal record.
“There’s more to this than just me. Today marks the conclusion of Pride Month. This was one I wanted to run for my neighbourhood,” Hiltz said. “Yes, all the LGBT people, you guys really did bring me home within the last hundred [metres]. I could sense everyone’s support and affection.”
Hiltz reported that Elle St. Pierre, the American who finished third in the women’s 1500m race at the Tokyo Olympics, encouraged the competitors to pick up the pace. St. Pierre, who had been leading for most of the race, set the early pace for the competition by finishing the first circuit in an astounding 61 seconds.
Hiltz said in a Monday social media post that their qualification for the Olympics in Paris fulfilled a boyhood goal of theirs.
“I’m not sure when this will truly hit home, but I know that every day I wake up feeling incredibly appreciative of my people, overcome by the love and support I receive, and bursting with excitement that I get to spend my working life racing people I genuinely love and respect around a track,” Hiltz said.
World Athletics’ new guidelines for non-binary and transgender athletes
By giving each sport’s governing body more power to make decisions for transgender athletes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) changed its stance significantly in 2021.
With this change, specific sports will have the authority to set their own rules, guaranteeing that each discipline’s particular requirements and characteristics are taken into account.
A rule that prohibits transgender athletes who went through male puberty from competing in female track and field divisions has been put in place by World Athletics.
Transgender athletes who have declared their gender identity appropriately can, however, compete in male divisions. Non-binary athletes aren’t addressed expressly, but if they haven’t had hormone therapy, athletes who were designated female at birth can usually participate in female categories. In international track and field contests, this principle guarantees impartiality and clarity.