NBC Sports has been compelled to issue a formal apology after its coverage of the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina accidentally misgendered Swedish athlete Elis Lundholm. The 23-year-old skier, who was assigned female at birth but identifies as male, was competing in the women's freestyle moguls division when the error occurred.
Broadcast Error During Live Event
During Lundholm's run, the Olympic international feed, which was being streamed on NBC's Peacock platform, repeatedly referred to the athlete using female pronouns. The commentary stated: 'Getting off course here though…oh she just skids out of that gate. She's going to hop up and go around to make sure she does not DNF as she continues down the line here.'
NBC swiftly removed the footage from its streaming platforms and social media channels, acknowledging the mistake. In a statement provided to Outsports, the network said: 'NBC Sports takes this matter seriously. Today we streamed an international feed with non-NBCUniversal commentators who misgendered Olympian Elis Lundholm. We apologise to Elis and our viewers, and we have removed the replay of that feed.'
Lundholm's Historic Participation
Elis Lundholm's participation in the Winter Olympics is permitted under current International Olympic Committee guidelines, making him the only openly transgender athlete competing at this year's Games. His involvement follows the IOC's 2021 'Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations', which allows trans athletes to compete after approval from their national sports federations.
Despite the broadcast controversy, Lundholm faced challenges on the slopes of Livigno, finishing 29th with a score of 12.05 in Tuesday's qualification round. However, due to the structure of moguls qualification, he had another opportunity on Wednesday morning. The top ten scorers from Tuesday received automatic byes, while remaining skiers competed in a second round to join the finalists.
Unfortunately for Lundholm, he finished 25th overall in the second qualification round, missing the chance to compete for a medal on Wednesday afternoon.
Lundholm's Perspective on Competition
The Swedish skier has previously addressed his comfort with competing in female divisions. In an interview with Swedish TV channel SVT, Lundholm stated: 'I've always been treated well. I came out and identified as a man. But I compete against women because they have the same qualifications as me. And that's okay with everyone.'
Before the Olympics, Lundholm also responded to criticism surrounding his participation, saying: 'Of course it's something I thought about. You can hear the voices out there. But then I do my thing, and I don't give a damn.'
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges and sensitivities surrounding gender identity in sports broadcasting, even as organisations like the IOC implement policies to promote inclusion. NBC's prompt apology and removal of the erroneous content demonstrate the network's recognition of the importance of accurate and respectful representation in Olympic coverage.
