Jake Adicoff, a cross-country skier on Team USA, has made Paralympic history by becoming the first openly gay man to win a gold medal at the Winter Games.

On Tuesday, March 10, Adicoff won the gold medal in the men’s sprint classic VI, and on Wednesday, March 11, he won another gold medal after finishing in first place in the 10km classic interval start VI.

This is his fourth Paralympic Winter Games, having previously competed in Beijing in 2022, PyeongChang in 2018 and Sochi in 2014. In the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, Adicoff secured his first gold medal in the 4×2.5km mixed relay, a team event. He also has three silver medals under his belt – for the 20km event and the 1.5km sprint in Beijing, and for the 10km event in PyeongChang.

The skier has no vision in his right eye and limited vision in his left as a result of contracting chickenpox while in the womb. He is one of five openly LGBTQ+ athletes competing in the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milano-Cortina, alongside fellow US athletes, snowboarder Jackie Hamwey, alpine skier Michael O’Hearn and Hayley Griffin, who is competing in the slalom and giant slalom events. Team GB’s Jo Butterfield, meanwhile, will compete in mixed doubles wheelchair curling.

Adicoff, the only Paralympian on Team USA sponsored by the Out Athlete Fund, has previously spoken about the importance of queer representation in parasports.

He recently told OutSports: “Going to the Paralympics, being a gay athlete there, showing that it’s possible to reach this upper echelon of sport as an out athlete and as a para athlete, that’s super important to me.”

With two gold medals under his belt, Adicoff has had a successful Paralympics, but it’s not over yet. With his heart set on four gold medals in total, he will compete again in the 20km event and the 4×2.5km mixed relay.