Swedish skier Elis Lundholm has made history as the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Winter Olympic Games.
Lundholm, 23, a transgender man, was announced last month as a member of the women’s freestyle skiing division under current International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines.
Lundholm is also the only openly trans athlete to compete at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
The mogul skier’s participation in the women’s team is part of the IOC’s 2021 “Framework on Equity, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variation”, which includes 10 principles in recommendations for each sport to consider for eligibility requirements.
Every two years, the Summer or Winter Olympic Games bring together the world’s best athletes to compete in the same city and live in the same Olympic Village. They are usually in their 20s in peak physical condition, forced to be close in the midst of a high-stress, high-risk environment. It is ripe for extracurricular activities. In fact, People reports that (…)
According to these guidelines, transgender athletes can compete in the Olympics after being cleared by their respective sports federations.
“This Framework recognizes both the need to ensure that everyone, regardless of their gender identity or sex variations, can practice sport in a safe and harassment-free environment that recognizes and respects their needs and identities, and the interest of everyone, especially elite athletes, to participate in fair competitions where no participant has an unfair and disproportionate advantage over the rest.”
Lundholm made his debut at the 2024 World Cup, where he finished 18th. Since then he has won four Swedish championship medals.
Lundholm addressed criticism of his participation in the Olympics while speaking to reporters ahead of the games in early February.
“Of course it’s something I thought about,” he said. “You can hear the voices out there. But then I do my thing, and I don’t mind at all.”
Talking to him Herald of SwedenLundholm said he has “always been treated well” by others in his sport.
Fredrik Joulamo, sports director and team manager of the Swedish Olympic Committee, has expressed his support for Lundholm.
The International Olympic Committee’s AI scanner will help clean up Lundholm’s social media hate during the games, according to the Herald of Sweden.
“And it’s clear that we’ll also be keeping an eye on our social media and we’ll remove and block if any hate appears online,” said Robert Hansson, sports director of moguls at the Swedish Ski Association.
Lindsey Vonn was airlifted off the course after a crash in Switzerland, just days before she is scheduled to make her miraculous return to the Olympics. Vonn, 41, lost control during her World Cup race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland on Friday, January 30, eventually ending up entangled in the course’s safety nets. After receiving medical assistance (…)
Hansson continued: “And so I hope there’s no situation that we can’t handle. Elis has a lot of confidence in himself and what he’s decided and what he stands for. So it’s going to be a long time before he gets rattled.”
The Grindr dating appwhich specializes in location-based dating for the LGBTQ+ community, has also announced efforts to make sure Olympians feel safe at the games. The app’s browsing and scrolling features have been limited to inside the Olympic Village, preventing anyone outside the area from seeing or messaging anyone inside.
Grindr also disabled its approximate distance displays, which allow users to see how far away a potential match might be. In addition, village athletes have “unlimited disappearing messages and the ability to leave messages for free and premium subscribers.”
“To the trailblazing athletes heading to Italy: We’re proud to support you and can’t wait to see you shine,” Grindr said in a statement, addressing “serious security and privacy concerns, especially for those who are not out or come from countries where being gay is dangerous or illegal.”