Paving the way: Transgender and intersex athletes shape history

Renee Richards

In 1975, tennis player Renee Richards underwent a publicized gender-affirming surgery. After being formally barred from playing in the professional women’s league by the United States Tennis Association, Richards spearheaded a court case which eventually led to a New York Supreme Court decision ruling in favor of her right to compete as a woman. Her case set a precedent for future cases.

Maria José Martínez Patiño

Maria José Martínez-Patiño was an Olympic hurdler and one of the first women affected by sex verification testing in sports. While she had always identified as female, the old chromatin-based system of gender testing eliminated her from competing when she was found to possess XY chromosomes. After fighting the loss of her IAAF license, she competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Caster Semenya

Caster Semenya is a two-time Olympic gold medal winning middle-distance runner. She is intersex and posesses XY chromosomes. In 2019, new World Athletics rules prevented women with testosterone levels above 5nmol/L from competing in certain track events unless they consumed testosterone-suppressing medications. In response, Semeyna filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights. The appeal was rejected.

Laurel Hubbard

Laurel Hubbard is a weightlifter and in 2021 was the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympic Games. Hubbard’s competition was met with criticism on an international scale, though she met all eligibility requirements to compete. Hubbard was selected to compete in 2020, with transgender athletes being permitted to participate since 2004. Hubbard did not obtain Olympic medals.

Lia Thomas

Lia Thomas is a swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania. Her case has spearheaded recent controversy over transgender participation in college-level sports. After undergoing hormone replacement therapy, she has broken records in collegiate swimming for a variety of events including 100, 200 and 300-yard freestyle. In March 2022, she became the first transgender woman in any sport to win a NCAA Division I national championship.