Erik Schinegger

Erik Schinegger (born 19 June 1948) is an Austrian intersex skier. He was the world champion women's downhill skier in 1966, at which time he was recognized as female and known as Erika Schinegger.[1]

Erik Schinegger 2014

Early life

Schinegger was born in Agsdorf, Carinthia, and raised as a girl.

Skiing and transitioning

Schinegger had won the gold medal in the women's downhill skiing competition at the 1966 World Ski Championship in Portillo, Chile,[2] but would give up the 1966 medal 20 years after completing his reassignment. [3]

In 1967, as he was preparing for the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, a medical test by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) determined that Schinegger had XY chromosomes and internal male sex organs, and disqualified him. Schinegger ultimately decided to live as a man and transitioned, undergoing medical treatment and changing his name to Erik. He married and became a father.[4][5]

Together with Marco Schenz, Schinegger published an autobiography in 1988 titled Mein Sieg über mich. Der Mann, der Weltmeisterin wurde ("My Victory over Myself: The Man Who Became a Female World Champion"). He was also the subject of a 2005 documentary film by Kurt Mayer called Erik(A), with music by Olga Neuwirth.[6] In 1988, on a television show broadcast by the Austrian ORF network, Schinegger gave his 1966 gold medal to the second-place finisher, Marielle Goitschel.[7]

Personal life

Erik Schinegger currently lives in the place of his birth and runs a ski school for children.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Champion Girl Skier In Sex Change ". The Age. 17 June 1968. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  2. "Austrian's win help to national prestige". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. August 9, 1966. p. 13.
  3. "Man who won '66 women's downhill gives up medal". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. November 19, 1988. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  4. Rick Broadbent, "From Erika to Erik, a long journey of self-discovery", The Times, October 22, 2009.
  5. John Fry, The Story of Modern Skiing (University Press of New England, 2006), pp.131-133 (excerpt available at Google Books).
  6. Jay Weissberg, Review of Erik(a), Variety, May 16, 2006.
  7. "Man Who Won '66 Women's Downhill Gives Up Medal", AP in Los Angeles Times, November 19, 1988.
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