Nikki Hiltz, a transgender and nonbinary middle-distance runner, said that qualifying for the U.S. Olympic squad had extra meaning since it was the last event of Pride Month. The greatest race of Hiltz’s career is now approaching.
At the U.S. Olympic trials on June 30, Hiltz, 29, who was born with a female sex assignment, set a meet record in the 1500-meter final, earning her a ticket to the Paris Games. The previous Olympic trials mark, 3:58.03, established by Elle St. Pierre in the 2021 U.S. track and field trials, was easily surpassed by the effort. Along with Emily Mackay, who placed second, St. Pierre earned a berth on Team USA by finishing third on Sunday.
“This goes beyond just me,” Hiltz said to NBC. “I wanted to run this one for my community on this last day of Pride Month. You guys pulled me home that last 100, LGBTQ people. I could sense everyone’s support and affection
Recent years have seen issues with gender and sexuality in several sports. The Olympic organizing body revised its regulations in 2021 and now defers to the governing body of each sport for participation regulations.
