Nikki Hiltz wins the women's 1500m to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games. GETTY IMAGES

Transgender and nonbinary runner Nikki Hiltz qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, clocking in a time of 3:55:33 in the women’s 1500m race at the US Olympic Trials Sunday: breaking Elle St. Pierre’s trials record of 3:58.03, set in 2021. Hiltz is not the first transgender non-binary person to compete at an Olympics  —Canadian football player Quinn, who competed at Tokyo 2020, was the first openly transgender and nonbinary athlete to participate and win a medal at the Games. 

Hiltz won the 1500m at the 2023 US Championship last July and prior to Sunday’s final, Hiltz was leading qualifiers through the semi-final rounds with a time of 4:01.40.In a post-race interview with NBC Sports, Hiltz said the race had significance beyond their personal accomplishment. 



"This is bigger than just me. It’s the last day of Pride Month. ... I wanted to run this one for my community,” they said. “All the LGBT folks, yeah, you guys brought me home that last hundred [metres]. I could just feel the love and support.”

Hiltz — a seven-time All-American from California — celebrated at the finish line with their girlfriend, fellow track and field runner Emma Gee. The 29-year-old wrote on Instagram Monday that going to the Olympics was a dream come true. 

"Yesterday afternoon in Eugene, Oregon a childhood dream of mine came true. I'm not sure when this will fully sink in… All I know is today I'm waking up just so grateful for my people, overwhelmed by all the love and support, and filled with joy that I get to race people I deeply love and respect around a track for a living,” Hiltz said.


Emma Gee and Nikki Hiltz react after Hiltz won the women's 1500 metre final. GETTY IMAGES
Emma Gee and Nikki Hiltz react after Hiltz won the women's 1500 metre final. GETTY IMAGES


The International Olympic Committee updated its guidelines around transgender athletes in 2021, deferring to the governing bodies of individual sports. World Athletics does not permit transgender women who went through male puberty to compete in women's events, allowing Hiltz to compete given they never went through male puberty. Hiltz came out about their sexuality at age 19, and at age 26, they came out about their gender identity.

The previous record-holder, St. Pierre, and the second-place finisher, Emily Mackay, also qualified for the Olympics.