Filipino trans boxer Hergie Bacyadan is set to make his Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games. Bacyadan, one of five Filipino athletes representing the country, will compete in the women’s 75kg division, the heaviest weight class.
Despite identifying as a trans man, Bacyadan has not undergone hormone replacement therapy or gender reassignment surgery. In fact, he has proudly claimed that he has never taken testosterone, and even stood up to the Russian vovinam team in 2023 when they requested that his gold medal win be nullified because he was a “man.”
In 2023, he won the world championship in women’s vovinam, a Vietnamese martial art that combines elements of boxing, judo, and wushu. If he succeeds in earning a medal in Paris, Bacyadan will become the first trans male athlete to achieve this historic feat at the Olympics.
“I am proud to represent the LGBTQ+ community,” Bacyadan told ABS-CBN News.
The 27-year-old boxer’s personal life has also been making headlines. In November 2022, married his long-term partner, Lady Denily Digo, in a Zoom ceremony that was legally recognized in the US state of Utah. The couple later held a wedding celebration with friends and family in the Philippines, where same-sex marriage is not recognized.
As the world eagerly awaits the Paris 2024 Olympics, all eyes will be on Hergie Bacyadan. Filipino boxer Hergie Bacyadan faces a significant challenge in Olympic debut, having been drawn against top seed and former world champion Li Qian of China in the women’s 75kg round of 16.
Li, a decorated boxer with medals from the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, presents a formidable opponent. If Bacyadan wins, Bacyadan will need one more victory to secure an Olympic medal.
The boxing competitions run until August 10.
