A Transgender Athlete Just Won Olympic Gold for the First Time Ever
Canadian soccer player Quinn became the first transgender athlete to win an Olympic medal as Canada took gold in women’s soccer on Friday.
The Canadian team beat Sweden 3-2 in penalty kicks to win the country’s first Olympic gold in the event.
Quinn was one of at least three transgender or nonbinary athletes to compete in the Tokyo Games, according to NBC News.
Canada’s win makes Quinn the only one to come home with a medal.
“I’m so proud of my team. They’re my best friends,” he said following the win.
“I’m so glad we’re bringing back a better medal than bronze.” Canada won bronze at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Quinn came out as transgender and nonbinary this year, meaning that he identifies as neither male nor female.
“I feel sad knowing there were Olympians before me unable to live their truth because of the world,” Quinn wrote on Instagram in July.
“Mostly, I feel aware of the realities. Trans girls being banned from sports. Trans women facing discrimination and bias while trying to pursue their olympic dreams. The fight isn’t close to over… and I’ll celebrate when we’re all here.”
Men were allowed to compete against women at the Olympics for the first time this year.
Under new International Olympic Committee guidelines, males can compete against females if they meet set testosterone levels.
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, a male who identifies as female, competed in the women’s super-heavyweight category in Tokyo.
He failed to complete a single lift in three attempts on Monday.
“I know my participation in these Games has not been entirely without controversy,” Hubbard said after the competition.
He said the IOC was “extraordinarily supportive and I think that they have reaffirmed the principles of the Olympics that sport is something that all people around the world can do, that it is inclusive and successful.”
American BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe, a male who identifies as female, also qualified for the Tokyo Olympics as an alternate.
IOC president Thomas Bach said in July that the IOC will be reviewing the rules governing transgender athletes in the future, NBC News reported.
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