Elis Lundholm will make history simply by stepping up to the starting gate on Tuesday.
The Swedish freestyle skier is set to become the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics.
Lundholm, who is slated to compete in the moguls and dual moguls events, is a biological female who identifies as a man.
He’ll be competing in the women’s freestyle skiing division under current International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines.
The IOC released its “Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations” in 2021, which Lundholm has followed in order to compete in Milano-Cortina.
The 23-year-old native of Boo is also the only openly transgender athlete to qualify for the Games in Italy.
The IOC’s “framework” includes a 10-principle approach in recommendations for each sport to consider for eligibility requirements.
“This Framework recognizes both the need to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their gender identity or sex variations, can practice sport in a safe, harassment-free environment that recognizes and respects their needs and identities, and the interest of everyone — particularly athletes at elite level — to participate in fair competitions where no participant has an unfair and disproportionate advantage over the rest,” the document states.
As per the IOC’s guidelines, transgender athletes can compete after first being cleared by their respective sports federations.
What has Lundholm said about being a trans athlete?
During a recent interview with Swedish outlet Aftonbladet, Lundholm commented on the likelihood of receiving online hate simply for being a transgender athlete during a time when it has become a very controversial topic.
“Of course, it’s something I thought about,” Lundholm said. “You can hear the voices out there. But then, I do my thing and don’t give a damn.”
The skier added that he has “always been treated well” within the skiing world.
Lundholm’s competitive history
The Swede debuted on the World Cup circuit in 2024, finishing 18th. He has won four Swedish championship medals, including a bronze last year.
During last month’s World Cup meet at Val Saint-Come, Quebec, Lundholm finished in 23rd place out of 49 competitors.