The first openly transgender man to participate in the Olympic Games made history at Paris 2024, despite losing his boxing match.
Hergie Bacyadan, hailing from the Philippines, entered the ring to compete against China’s Li Qian in the women’s 75kg category on Wednesday, July 31.
Bacyadan identifies as a transgender male but has not started hormone replacement therapy, thereby competing in the women’s events at Paris 2024.
In the three-round bout, Bacyadan faced Qian, who previously won medals at the Olympics—a bronze in Rio and a silver in Tokyo.
Qian won all three rounds, advancing to the quarter-finals of the event.
After the match, Bacyadan expressed his feelings on Instagram, saying it was ‘sad’ to have lost but he was ‘still very thankful’ for the opportunity to compete in the Olympics.
In his post, he wrote: “Only experienced to play here, it’s a big deal to me […]
“Thank you very much to all those who supported me to get here […] Thank you to the fans & supporters who never get tired of supporting me since I was just starting, until now that I reached the Olympics.”
“Above all, I want to thank God who is the reason for it all. He rebuilt my dreams and fixed all my mistakes in life,” he added.
“To the whole Philippines, sorry to disappoint you. I promise that I will fight again for our country and I will work harder in the future,” he wrote.
Bacyadan’s participation came after the International Olympic Committee introduced a new framework for transgender and intersex athletes, emphasizing the respect for internationally recognized human rights.
The IOC stated it would no longer require athletes to undergo hormone level modifications, explaining: “This Framework recognises both the need to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their gender identity or sex variations, can practise sport in a safe, harassment-free environment that recognises and respects their needs and identities.”
Prior to his Paris 2024 appearance, Bacyadan shared a video expressing that he would ‘never take ‘T’ and will never be on ‘T’, referring to testosterone.
He also mentioned: “I still consider myself as a Transman because my heart says so.”
Reflecting on his match, Bacyadan admitted he did ‘everything’ he could to win but lacked the ‘experience in boxing’ to overcome his medal-winning opponent.