Erik Schinegger
Contents
Country
Austria
Birth - Death
1948 -
Occupation
Sports
Notable Achievements
World Champion
Description
Alpine skier, intersexual. World champion women's downhill skier in 1966, at which time he was recognized as female and known as Erika Schinegger. After a routine pre-Olympics health test in 1967, it was determined that he was in fact male in terms of internal sex organs (having grown inside his body instead of outside), so he was disqualified to participate any further as female in downhill skiing. He immediately began the formal medical transition to male. In a signature move, in 1988 he passed his World Champion's medal on to the second place finisher of 1966. Author of his autobiography 'Mein Sieg über mich. Der Mann, der Weltmeisterin wurde' (1988; 'My Victory over Myself: The Man Who Became a Female World Champion') in which he describes the mental torture he endured during the discovery and transition period. Married with children. Currently runs a ski school.
