After Making History, Transgender Runner Nikki Hiltz Falls Short In 1500-Meter Final

U.S. Olympic runner Nikki Hiltz became the first transgender and non-binary person to run in an Olympic track and field final after securing a third-place finish in the second semifinal of the 1500-meter. Hiltz clocked in at 3:56.17. Vermont’s Elle St. Pierre joined Hiltz in the Saturday final.

But both came up short with Hiltz finishing seventh and St. Pierre at eighth.

Hiltz is one of three transgender athletes competing in Paris – Canadian soccer player Quinn and New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard are the other two athletes who participated in the games. U.S. Olympic skateboarder Alana Smith competed at the Tokyo Olympics as an openly non-binary athlete.

Aligning with Olympic guidelines, Hiltz, who was born a female, isn’t taking hormone treatments, but they said that taking testosterone is a “dream” of theirs. The Olympian revealed Monday that they were deleting their X account until the end of the competition before sending a message to fans.

“Respect people’s pronouns and if someone has a different lived experience than you, try educating yourself instead of hating on them,” Hiltz wrote. Hiltz told the Washington Post that their participation in the Olympics was a chance to “change someone’s mind about something.”

Controversy loomed over boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting as both were disqualified from the 2023 Women’s World Championships since they didn’t clear gender eligibility tests. Despite facing accusations that they were biological males, both were approved to compete in Paris.

Hiltz admired the support at the Olympics by pointing and waving at every American flag in the crowd. Their partner and family were in attendance for the second semifinal. “I just feel the love,” Hiltz remarked.

Hiltz hosts a charity run, “Pride 5K,” that has donated over $172,000 to the Trevor Project – this year’s run will give its donations to Point of Pride, a non-profit advocating for financial aid for people seeking gender-affirming care.