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List of LGBTQ Olympians and Paralympians

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List of LGBTQ Olympians and Paralympians
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This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

There have been 864 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][c] 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.[d][a]

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As of 2024, at least 50 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;[e] the most decorated able-bodied LGBT+ Olympian is Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst, with 13 medals including 6 golds;[f] the most decorated able-bodied LGBT+ Summer Olympian is Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, with 9 medals including 5 golds.[c] LGBT+ Olympians who hold Olympic records include Wüst;[g] footballers Pia Sundhage and Vivianne Miedema;[h] rower Emma Twigg;[i] and triple jumper Yulimar Rojas, who also holds the world record.[j] At least 396 LGBT+ Olympians are medalists (45.83% of LGBT+ Olympians), of which 184 have at least one gold medal (21.30%).[k]

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All based on the Lists of LGBTQ+ Olympians and Paralympians

More information Country, Number of Olympians ...
More information Sport, Number of Olympians by gender ...
More information Art, Number of Olympians by gender ...
Notes
  1. [N 1]
    Alyson Annan has represented Australia, the Netherlands and China, and is counted for all.
  2. [N 2]
    Jolanta Ogar represented both Poland and Austria, and is counted for both.
  3. [N 3]
    Pia Sundhage has represented Sweden, the United States, and Brazil and is counted for all.
  4. [N 4]
    Rafael Polinario represented both Cuba and Canada, and is counted for both.
  5. [N 5]
    Yulenmis Aguilar represented both Cuba and Spain, and is counted for both.
  6. [N 6]
    Including Czechoslovakia
  7. [N 7]
    Natalia Zabiiako represented both Estonia and the independent athletes from Russia, and is counted for both.
  8. [N 8]
    Including Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, West Germany and East Germany
  9. [N 9]
    Hege Riise represented both Norway and Great Britain, and is counted for both.
  10. [N 10]
    Gus Kenworthy represented both Great Britain and the United States, and is counted for both.
  11. [N 11]
    Including Irish Free State
  12. [N 12]
    Including Kingdom of Italy and Fascist Italy
  13. [N 13]
    Including Russia and the Olympic Athletes from Russia
  14. [N 14]
    Including Union of South Africa
  15. [N 15]
    Including multi-year appearances of the same Olympian; including Paralympics.
  16. [N 16]
    Took place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  17. [N 17]
    Including multi-disciplinary Olympians
  18. [N 18]
    One competed in a men's category, the other in a women's category.
  19. [N 19]
    Competed in a women's category
  20. [N 20]
    Kate O'Brien has competed in both cycling and paracycling. She is only counted once.
  21. [N 21]
    Competed in a men's category
  22. [N 22]
    Rafael Polinario competed in Olympic swimming and coached Paralympic swimming. He is only counted once.
  23. [N 23]
    Demonstration event
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LGBTQ+ Summer Olympians

Main articles: List of LGBTQ Summer Olympians (1896–2000), List of LGBTQ Summer Olympians (2004–2020), and List of LGBTQ Summer Olympians (2024–present)
See also: Lists of LGBTQ women's footballers at the Olympic Games
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LGBTQ+ Winter Olympians

Main article: List of LGBTQ Winter Olympians
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LGBTQ+ Paralympians

Main article: List of LGBTQ Paralympians
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LGBTQ+ artists

Main article: List of LGBTQ artists at the Olympic Games
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See also

Notes

  1. Based on the information presented on this page
  2. Equestrian Robert de Montesquiou.
  3. See List of LGBT Summer Olympians (1896–2000)
  4. Football player and coach Pia Sundhage and skier Gus Kenworthy.
  5. Australian Paralympic swimmer Ellie Cole also has 17 medals, six of which are golds. See List of LGBT Paralympians
  6. See List of LGBT Winter Olympians
  7. See List of Olympic records in speed skating
  8. 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.
  9. See List of Olympic best times in rowing
  10. See List of Olympic records in athletics and Triple jump world record progression.
  11. 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.
  12. Chand is included both as an LGBTQ+ athlete and an intersex athlete.
  13. Kate O'Brien is included both as a Summer Olympian and a Paralympian.
  14. Polinario is included both as a Summer Olympian and a Paralympian.
  15. Semenya is included both as an LGBTQ+ athlete and an intersex athlete.
  16. Witty is included both as a Summer Olympian and a Winter Olympian.
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References

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