There have been 827 modern Olympians[a] (including Paralympians, Summer Olympic athletes and artists, and Winter Olympians) who have identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, non-binary, and/or queer, or who have openly been in a same-sex relationship. The first Olympic Games in which an athlete now known to be LGBT+ competed was the 1900 Summer Olympics, also the first LGBT+ Olympic medalist and first contemporaneously out Olympian.[b] LGBT+ Olympians have contested events across over 60 sports, as well as several artistic events. The majority of LGBT+ Olympians are female. The Olympic sport with the most LGBT+ participants is football. The nation with the most out LGBT+ Olympians is the United States, including two who have also competed for other nations.[a]

As of 2024, at least 49 nations, and the Refugee Olympic Team, have been represented by an LGBTQ+ person at the Olympics or Paralympics

The most decorated LGBT+ Olympian is British Paralympic equestrian Lee Pearson, with 17 medals including 14 golds;[c] the most decorated able-bodied LGBT+ Olympian is Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst, with 13 medals including 6 golds;[d] the most decorated able-bodied LGBT+ Summer Olympian is Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, with 9 medals including 5 golds.[b] LGBT+ Olympians who hold Olympic records include Wüst;[e] footballers Pia Sundhage and Vivianne Miedema;[f] rower Emma Twigg;[g] and triple jumper Yulimar Rojas, who also holds the world record.[h] At least 371 LGBT+ Olympians are medalists (44.86% of LGBT+ Olympians), of which 165 have at least one gold medal (19.95%).[i]

Overview

All based on the Lists of LGBTQ+ Olympians and Paralympians

More information Country, Number of Olympians ...
Close
More information Sport, Number of Olympians by gender ...
By sport
Sport Number of Olympians by gender[N 17]
Female Male Non-binary Total
Cisgender Transgender Intersex Cisgender Transgender Intersex
Alpine skiing &
Para-alpine skiing
4 1 5
Archery 3 3
Athletics &
Para-athletics
34 1[N 18] 2 14 2[N 19] 4[N 19] 57
Badminton 4 4
Basketball &
Wheelchair basketball
64 1[N 19] 65
Beach volleyball 8 8
Biathlon 2 2
Bobsleigh 1 1 2
Boxing 13 2 1[N 19] 16
Canoeing and Kayaking &
Paracanoe
5 5
Climbing 1 1
Cross-country skiing &
Para cross-country skiing
3 3
Curling 1 1
Cycling &
Paracycling
24[N 20] 1[N 19] 1 26
Diving 12 12
Equestrian &
Para-equestrian
1 23 24
Fencing &
Wheelchair fencing
5 1 6
Figure skating 4 26 1[N 18] 31
Football 179 3 1[N 19] 183
Freestyle skiing 4 1 5
Goalball 2 2
Golf 3 3
Gymnastics 7 12 19
Handball 19 19
Hockey 32 2 34
Ice hockey 31 31
Judo &
Para Judo
17 1 18
Luge 1 1
Rowing &
Pararowing
28 4 1[N 19] 33
Rugby sevens 30 1[N 19] 1[N 19] 32
Sailing 3 3
Shooting 5 5
Skateboarding 5 2[N 19] 7
Skeleton 4 2 6
Ski jumping 1 1 2
Snowboarding 6 6
Softball 10 10
Speed skating 7 1 8
Surfing 5 5
Swimming 16 26[N 21] 42
Table tennis 1 1[N 19] 2
Taekwondo &
Parataekwondo
2 1 3
Tennis &
Wheelchair tennis
19 2 21
Triathlon &
Paratriathlon
4 2 6
Volleyball &
Sitting volleyball
21 2 23
Water polo 4 1 5
Weightlifting 1 1[N 19] 2
Wrestling 2 2
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More information Art, Number of Olympians by gender ...
By art
Art Number of Olympians by gender[N 17]
Female Male Non-binary Total
Cisgender Transgender Intersex Cisgender Transgender Intersex
Epic Literature 1 1
Dance[N 22] 1 1 2
Drawings and water colours (Painting) 2 2
Graphic arts 2 2
Literature (Open) 3 3
Lyric works (Literature) 2 2
Painting 1 6 7
Sculpting (Open) 2 2 4
Statue sculpting 5 1 6
Close
Notes
  1. Alyson Annan has represented Australia, the Netherlands and China, and is counted for all.
  2. Jolanta Ogar represented both Poland and Austria, and is counted for both.
  3. Pia Sundhage has represented Sweden, the United States, and Brazil and is counted for all.
  4. Rafael Polinario represented both Cuba and Canada, and is counted for both.
  5. Yulenmis Aguilar represented both Cuba and Spain, and is counted for both.
  6. Natalia Zabiiako represented both Estonia and the independent athletes from Russia, and is counted for both.
  7. Hege Riise represented both Norway and Great Britain, and is counted for both.
  8. Gus Kenworthy represented both Great Britain and the United States, and is counted for both.
  9. Including multi-year appearances of the same Olympian; including Paralympics.
  10. Including multi-disciplinary Olympians
  11. Competed in a men's category
  12. Competed in a women's category
  13. Kate O'Brien has competed in both cycling and paracycling. She is only counted once.
  14. Rafael Polinario competed in Olympic swimming and coached Paralympic swimming. He is only counted once.
  15. Demonstration event

LGBTQ+ Summer Olympians

LGBTQ+ Winter Olympians

LGBTQ+ Paralympians

LGBTQ+ artists

See also

Notes

  1. Based on the information presented on this page
  2. Australian Paralympic swimmer Ellie Cole also has 17 medals, six of which are golds. See List of LGBT Paralympians
  3. Pia Sundhage holds all coaching records. Vivianne Miedema has scored the most goals of an individual player in a single Olympic Games and in a single Olympic match. See List of women's Olympic football tournament records and statistics.
  4. Harald Kreutzberg and Mary Wigman received medals in the competition part of the 1936 dance event.[1] As a demonstration event, these medals are not counted.
  5. Chand is included both as an LGBTQ+ athlete and an intersex athlete.
  6. Kate O'Brien is included both as a Summer Olympian and a Paralympian.
  7. Polinario is included both as a Summer Olympian and a Paralympian.
  8. Semenya is included both as an LGBTQ+ athlete and an intersex athlete.
  9. Witty is included both as a Summer Olympian and a Winter Olympian.

References

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