NBC has been accused of "virtue signalling" after the broadcaster removed footage from its Winter Olympics coverage and issued an apology following commentators repeatedly "misgendering" Swedish transgender skier Elis Lundholm.
The American broadcaster took action following the incident, in which Lundholm was called "she" multiple times throughout the freestyle moguls competition at Milano Cortina.
The network said: "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."
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Critics argued that because Lundholm was competing in the women's moguls category, using "she/her" pronouns was factually consistent with the category's eligibility.
Social media users are calling the apology a form of "virtue signalling" and arguing that the commentators were simply describing a participant in a female event.
The footage has been wiped from NBC's platforms and social media accounts.
Lundholm, 23, was assigned female at birth but identifies as male, making them the sole transgender competitor at the 2026 Winter Games.
NBC has removed footage from its Winter Olympics coverage and issued an apology
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Lundholm is the second openly trans male Olympian ever to compete.
Under International Ski Federation regulations, Lundholm is permitted to participate in women's events because the process of masculinising hormone replacement therapy has not yet begun.
Lundholm finished 25th overall in the competition, having scored 12.05 points on Tuesday, which left the Swedish mogul skier in 29th position at that stage.
Current International Olympic Committee rules allow participation in the women's category.
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Elis Lundholm debuted on the slopes of Livigno on Tuesday and ended it in disappointment | REUTERSThe controversy occurred during Lundholm's opening run on Tuesday, with the errors broadcast on NBC's international feed via the Peacock streaming platform.
During the coverage, a commentator could be heard saying: "Getting off course here though … oh she just skids out of that gate. She's going to hop up and go around to make sure she does not DNF as she continues down the line here."
The broadcast originated with non-NBCUniversal commentators covering the international feed, which NBC subsequently streamed to its American audience.
Speaking to Swedish media ahead of the Games, Lundholm addressed the decision to compete in women's categories, telling Aftonbladet: "I came out and identified as a man. But I compete against women because they have the same qualifications as me. And that's okay with everyone."
Elis Lundholm participated in the women's freestyle moguls event under current International Olympic Committee rules | REUTERSRegarding criticism, Lundholm said: "Of course it's something I thought about. You can hear the voices out there.
"But then I do my thing, and I don't give a damn."
Lundholm added that they have "always been treated well".
This marks the second time NBC has faced such criticism, having previously received criticism around a non-binary skateboarder, Alana Smith, during the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics.
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