NBC criticised after repeatedly misgendering trans Winter Olympic skier Elis Lundholm

NBC has come under scrutiny after commentators repeatedly misgendered Swedish skier Elis Lundholm during coverage of the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Lundholm, a trans man competing in the women’s moguls event under current International Ski Federation regulations, was incorrectly referred to as “she” four times during a live broadcast stream on NBC/Peacock.

The misgendering occurred during Lundholm’s first qualification run in Cortina, where an early mistake left him finishing 29th out of 30 competitors. Despite the setback, he remained in contention due to the two‑stage qualification system, which gives lower‑ranked athletes a second chance to progress to the finals.

The broadcast in question was an international feed featuring commentators not contracted by NBC. After viewers raised concerns, NBC issued a formal apology, stating: “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, who has spoken previously about being aware of increased attention surrounding his participation as a trans athlete, told Swedish outlet Aftonbladet that he does not allow outside noise to distract him. “Of course it’s something I thought about… But then I do my thing and don’t give a damn,” he said earlier this year. His coach, Robert Hansson, added that Lundholm is “very confident in himself” and unlikely to be shaken by media controversy.