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.

Nikki Hiltz, an American transgender runner, has made history by qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the women’s 1500m final, running a record-breaking time of 3:55.53.

“Yesterday afternoon in Eugene Oregon a childhood dream of mine came true. I’m not sure when this will fully sink in… All I know is today I’m waking up just so grateful for my people, overwhelmed by all the love and support, and filled with joy that I get to race people I deeply love and respect around a track for a living,” Hiltz shared through an Instagram post.

“This is bigger than just me,” Hiltz told CBS Sports. “It’s the last day of Pride Month, and I wanted to run this one for my community. All the LGBTQ folks, you guys brought me home that last 100. I could just feel the love and support.”

Hiltz will be joined by Emily Mackay, who finished second with a time of 3:55.90, and Elle St. Pierre, who took third with a time of 3:55.99. The trio of runners represent a strong representation of the women’s Olympic distance running team, showing the depth of talent in American middle-distance running.

The journey to this point has been filled with determination. Hiltz’s previous accolade of winning a silver medal in the 1500m at the Indoor World Championships in March was a warm-up to this Olympic qualification.

As the women’s 1500m event at the Paris Olympics approaches, set to begin on August 6 at 4:05 a.m. ET, anticipation builds for Hiltz and their teammates.

Some sports, like World Swimming, have restricted trans athletes from competing in the Olympics.