Hiltz, specialising in the 1500 meters, qualified for the Olympics last weekend by crossing the finish line with an American trials record. They left their competition far behind.

It is the first time Hiltz will go to the Olympics. Moreover, they are one of the few openly transgender athletes. In an interview with NBC Sports after the race, the 29-year-old Hiltz said, “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 [meters]. I could just feel the love and support.”

At the Olympics, the participation of trans individuals depends on the rules of the international federations. Often, the rules for trans women are stricter than those for men. In athletics, the international athletics federation established a policy last year that bans all transgender women who have gone through male puberty from participating in female athletic categories. Trans men are allowed to compete in male categories if they have a signed declaration of their gender identity.