The Olympian Who Gave Up His Dream To Transition
New IOC regulations mean trans athletes like Balian Buschbaum can compete as their authentic selves. From: NewNowNext As the book closes on another Summer Games, we’re looking at the stories of LGBT Olympians past and present. Some blazed a trail in both representation and athletic accomplishment, while others had to give up their dreams to live their truth. German track-and-field star Balian Buschbaum competed in the 2000 Games in Sydney as a female pole vaulter—his personal best 4.70 meters, or about 15.42 feet, was a national record for many years and is still among the country’s top scores. But in 2007, Buschbaum announced he was retiring from the sport, due to a persistent injury and a desire to begin transitioning. In his memoir, Blue Eyes Remain Blue Eyes , Buschbaum revealed the name “Balian” was inspired by Orlando Bloom’s character in the film Kingdom of Heaven . Today he is a coach, nutritionist and trainer, and appeared in the German version of Dancing with the Stars in...