Two of the BBC‘s Olympic commentary team have been slammed for repeatedly misgendering the first openly non-binary athlete to compete at the games.
Team USA star Alana Smith, who uses they/them pronouns was knocked out of the Women’s Street Skateboarding semi-finals after failing to score three tricks at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo.
Despite the Arizonian 20-year-old wearing a ‘pronoun pin’ and having ‘they/them’ written twice on their skateboard, they were repeatedly referred to as ‘she’ and ‘her’ by the BBC’s Ed Leigh and Marc Churchill.
Many skateboarding fans noticed the error, and took to Twitter to complain, with one writing: ‘Alana Smith literally had their pronouns on their skateboard and the BBC commentators still misgendered them, is is that hard?’.
Team USA star Alana Smith, who uses they/them pronouns was knocked out of the Women’s Street Skateboarding semi-finals after failing to score three tricks at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo
Despite the Arizonian 20-year-old wearing a ‘pronoun pin’ and having ‘they/them’ written twice on their skateboard, they were repeatedly referred to as ‘she’ and ‘her’ by the BBC’s Ed Leigh and Marc Churchill
‘I find this quite hard to watch, in Poe Pinson, you had a really great skate who she was fighting for an Olympic place against. Alana Smith is a great skater but she’s got no comp results from the last year,’ commentator Marc Churchilll, himself a professional skateboarder, said.
‘And she could potentially have focused on park. To come out here and Ollie [a skateboarding trick where the rider and board leap into the air without the use of the rider’s hands] a course…. maybe she’s carrying an injury,’ he added.
‘It’s getting away from her again. She’s gonna throw it. She certainly isn’t approaching the course gingerly,’ Ed Leigh, the BBC’s snowboarding correspondent added.
FEMAIL has contacted the BBC for comment.
The BBC’s Marc Churchill – who is a professional skateboarder – referred to Alana as ‘she’
The BBC’s snowboarding correspondent Ed Leigh (left) also frequently referred to Alana as ‘she’
Dozens of fans tweeted complaining about the presenters using the wrong pronouns.
‘Watching #Tokyo2020 women’s skateboarding on the BBC and hearing the commentators constantly misgender Alana Smith and not use they/them pronouns when it’s literally written on their board is so irritating and disappointing,’ said one.
‘BBC commentators are just… determined not to use Alana Smith’s pronouns,’ added another.
‘To the BBC commentators. Alana Smith has they/them on their skateboard and goes by that. I’m sure it’s not done in malice, but just a note,’ wrote a third.
Dozens of fans tweeted complaining about the presenters using the wrong pronouns
Responding to one fan, Tim Warwood, who also presents skateboarding coverage for the BBC but wasn’t part of the coverage said he was ‘sure it wasn’t intentional’ and that the BBC team presenting from Media City in Salford, Manchester have limited resources.
‘I’m sure the boys would of course apologise to Alana,’ he wrote.
‘I hadn’t seen anything regarding gender and I’m 100 per cent sure they hadn’t either. Hence the mistake.
‘If you don’t come across a skater that much then you rely on information provided to you by the event organiser,’
‘Not saying it was missed out I’m sure it was there, but personally I didn’t see it, and the guys are back in Salford with limited resources.’
Alana, pictured at the games, made history aged 12 when they became the youngest medallist in X Games history after snagging a silver medal in Barcelona 2013 for the Women’s Park Contest
This is games marked the debut of skateboarding as an Olympic sport – yet another sign that an activity once embraced as a symbol of counter-culture has firmly joined the mainstream. Alana is pictured with their teammates
Alana made history aged 12 when they became the youngest medallist in X Games history after snagging a silver medal in Barcelona 2013 for the Women’s Park Contest.
Alana and Canadian football player Quinn (who is known by just one name) are the first two Olympians to be openly non-binary.
Quinn, 25, came out as nonbinary and transgender via Instagram last year and uses the pronouns they/them.
This is games marked the debut of skateboarding as an Olympic sport – yet another sign that an activity once embraced as a symbol of counter-culture has firmly joined the mainstream.
Skateboarding joins surfing and sports climbing at the Tokyo Olympics this summer with organisers and broadcasters hoping the new events will draw new and younger audiences to the Games.
Unlike more traditional Olympic events, park and street skateboarding competitions will be accompanied by loud music and held at a new course built on Tokyo’s waterfront.