First transgender athlete in Winter Olympics makes history ahead of Milan-Cortina 2026

Swedish freestyle skier Elis Lundholm will be the first transgender athlete in Winter Olympic Games. It has created global interest and controversy in an already contentious issue about inclusion versus fairness at the Olympic level. He will compete in 2026 at the Milan-Cortina Games. Elis Lundholm will be the first person to ever compete as an openly transgender person in the Winter Olympics.

IOC rules, scientific debate, and growing scrutiny on Elis Lundholm

The Swedish Ski Federation recently announced that Elis will be participating in Women's Freestyle Skiing according to the regulations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Inclusion for Elis Lundholm has been authorized under the IOC's 2021 "Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations." The framework also includes a 10 principle approach to inclusion, allowing for the respective governing body for the sport to set the eligibility standards.

The document states: “"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 International Olympic Committee (IOC) is also working on developing new policies restricting all biological males from competing in female sports and a review by IOC Medical & Scientific Director Dr. Jane Thornton has shown that biological males may, despite undergoing complete testosterone treatment (including male-to-female sex reassignment surgery), continue to maintain a performance advantage over biological females in terms of muscle mass, fat distribution, and bone density. As Milan-Cortina approaches, the trans athlete in Winter Olympics debate shows no signs of slowing down.

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