A Canadian football player is assured of becoming the first-ever transgender sportsperson to win a medal at the Olympic Games after the country’s women’s team defeated the United States in the semi-finals on Monday.
Quinn, who goes by a single name, played on the team as a midfielder. While Quinn was also a member of the squad that claimed the bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, they only came out as transgender in September last year.
Quinn self-describes as a non-binary and does not use either male or female pronouns and instead prefers they/them.
Canada will face off against Sweden in the women’s final on Friday but is assured of winning either a gold or silver.
In an Instagram post last year, Quinn wrote: “Coming out is HARD”, adding, “I know for me it’s something I’ll be doing over again for the rest of my life. As I’ve lived as an openly trans person with the people I love most for many years, I did always wonder when I’d come out publicly.”
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Much attention has been placed during the Tokyo Games on New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, also a transgender athlete, who was eliminated early in the women’s 87-plus kg category. Her participation has ignited a debate over whether transgender athletes participating in women’s category have an unfair advantage. The International Olympic Committee is expected to frame fresh guidelines in this regard in the future.
Unlike Hubbard, Quinn was born female and is participating in a women’s event. Quinn told the outlet CBC Sports that athletics was “the most exciting part of my life and it brings me the most joy,” adding, “If I can allow kids to play the sports they love, that’s my legacy and that’s what I’m here for.”
Regardless of the result on Friday, Quinn ascending the podium will mark a historic day for transgenders in sport.
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