Timothy LeDuc is set to become the first nonbinary athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics.
LeDuc earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team after winning the pairs U.S. Figure Skating Championships with Ashley Cain-Gribble.
LeDuc said they understand the significance of the achievement.
“My hope is that when people see my story, it isn’t focused on me and saying, ‘Oh, Timothy is the first out non-binary person to achieve this level of success in sport.’ My hope is that the narrative shifts more to, ‘Queer people can be open and successful in sports.’ We’ve always been here, we’ve always been a part of sports. We just haven’t always been able to be open,” LeDuc said in a press conference, according to NBC News.
This was the second national championship for LeDuc and Cain-Gribble. They also won in 2019.
The Beijing Winter Olympics begin on Feb. 4.
