Nikki Hiltz reportedly intends to opt out of Track Race but….
The middle-distance runner placed first in the 1500-meter race at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, securing a ticket to Paris.
How the athlete has embraced visibility
But Hiltz’s journey isn’t just about medals and records. On International Transgender Day of Visibility in March 2021, they announced on Instagram that they are transgender and nonbinary.
It’s complicated and complex and something I’m still trying to navigate myself, but I’ve decided it’s time to share my gender fluidity with you all,” Hiltz wrote in the post. “Posting this is both exciting and terrifying but I am and always will be a firm believer that vulnerability and visibility are essential in creating social change and acceptance.”
As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, they’ve become a symbol of visibility and advocacy, on and off the track. Their openness has sparked conversation about inclusivity and representation in sports. However, transgender athletes still face restrictive policies within their sports.
Last year, the World Athletics Council, the governing body of track and field, barred transgender women from competing at the highest levels of sport.
As a result, Hiltz cannot receive gender affirming care, including taking testosterone.
“Going to the Olympics is such a dream of mine,” Hiltz said in an interview with Runners World in June 2023. “But it’s also such a dream of mine to take testosterone or grow facial hair or have top surgery, and so I think sometimes I can really resent this sport.”
Their road to the 2024 Paris Olympics
Fortunately, Hiltz is finally going to see out their Olympic dreams next month in Paris.
After failing to qualify for the Olympic Trials in 2021, Hiltz was determined to come back stronger, and stronger they did, punching their ticket to Paris with a blazing 3:55.33.