The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will feature a record 191 openly gay, lesbian, bi, trans, queer and non-binary athletes, including more men than ever before.
Outsports has revised its original tally of 144 LGBTQ athletes published on July 17. Over the past 12 days, we have received submissions from many readers and several journalists, allowing us to verify and update the list with an additional 47 athletes who have come out.
“I’m excited to join the team!” U.S. Women’s Rugby Player Christy Kirche wrote to Outsports when we reached out to her on social media about being added to the list.
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That number is expected to grow, surpassing the 186 athletes who came out at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics, and is nearly four times the 53 athletes who came out at the 2016 Rio Games and eight times higher than at the 2012 London Games.
The list is similar to Tokyo’s, with women outnumbering the others by a ratio of 9 to 1, but it also includes 20 openly gay men, a record. The list includes Nico Young, the first openly gay U.S. male track and field athlete, and Timo Kabelius, a German male judoka.
Irish taekwondo athlete Jack Woolley, competing in his second Olympic Games, is one of the male athletes delighted to be included on the list, telling Outsports: “Over the last few months I’ve really realised the benefits of being open about being in a same-sex relationship and how much it inspires others, so thank you so much for sharing with us! It means so much.”
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The record numbers reflect a growing awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ athletes, although this is primarily a phenomenon found in countries in the Americas, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
There are only three open boxers from Asia: two from the Philippines and one from Thailand; four from Africa (three South Africans) and one from a refugee team (Cameroon-born boxer Cindy Ngamba, who now lives in the UK); and one from a Muslim-majority country (a volleyball player from Turkey), where coming out or being gay is often illegal or dangerous.
Team USA has the most out Olympians with 31 (only one male). Brazil is second with 30 (and three males, the most of any country). Other countries with many out athletes include Australia (22), Germany (13), Spain (12), Great Britain (11), Canada (11), host nation France (9), and New Zealand (7).
Every sport has at least one athlete except archery, breaking, golf, modern pentathlon, mountain biking, rhythmic gymnastics, marathon swimming, synchronized swimming and triathlon.
Notable Olympians who have come out include British diver Tom Daley, US track and field star Sha’Carey Richardson (who may be the fastest woman in the world), professional basketball players Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Alyssa Thomas, Breanna Stewart, Jewel Lloyd, Team USA’s Chelsea Gray, and transgender non-binary athletes Quinn (Canada Soccer) and Nikki Hiltz (USA Track and Field).
Because Outsports is based in the United States, we understand that there is a good chance that some out athletes, especially those who are not U.S.-American, may not be on our list. If you know of any out LGBTQ athletes who are not on our list, or if you have any other inquiries, please contact us by email at[email protected]), or Twitter/X (send me a direct message)Outdoor Sports), Instagram (@outsports) or Facebook (OutsportsSBN).
