Hergie Bacyadan

Hergie Tao-Wag Bacyadan (born November 4, 1994, in Quezon City ) is a Filipino boxer and former wushu and vovinam practitioner who has competed in the women's division in all sports.

He is the first Vovinam World Championships gold medalist for the Philippines and a boxer who has qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Martial arts
Bacyadan was a martial artist who engaged in wushu and vovinam.

Wushu
Bacyadan first made to the Philippine national wushu team in 2016. Bacyadan took part at the inaugural Sanda Asian Cup in 2017 held in Foshan, China clinching a silver in the 65-kilogram division. At the 2017 World Wushu Championships in Kazan, Russia, he bagged another silver.

Vovinam
Bacyadan would briefly compete in vovinam, and lose weight as part of his preparation for the vovinam competition at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.

Bacyadan competed in the 2023 Vovinam World Championships in the women's combat 66 kg division title and became the Philippines' first vovinam champion at the expense of Mariana Abdeenko in the final.

Russia in response filed a protest calling to nullify the result and a ban against Filipino athletes for future competitions claiming that Bacaydan is a "man". The Philippine federation condemn its Russian counterpart with Bacaydan affirming he is eligible to compete as he is "born female" and has not taken male hormones or gender surgery, aware that such procedures would result to disqualification.

Boxing
Bacyadan’s shift to boxing was marked by his participation at the 2019 ASBC Asian Grand Slam Boxing Championships in Xiamen, China as part of his bid to qualify for in the Summer Olympics.

Bacyadan qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris through winning his quota bout at the 2024 World Olympic Qualification Tournament 2 at the expense of Maryelis Yriza of Venezuela.

Personal life
Bacyadan identifies as a transgender man. He discussed his gender identity in an interview with Preview acknowledging he was born as a woman but asserts his "heart and mind" is that of a man. Despite this, Bacyadan competes in the women’s divisions as he has not undergone hormone replacement therapy or surgery which would risk his eligibility.

Bacyadan hails from Tanudan, Kalinga and an Igorot. Bacyadan is part of the LGBT+ community and describes his sexual orientation as being "attracted to women". Lady Denily Digo is his partner.