The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are upon us, and nearly 15,000 athletes have already descended upon the French capital to begin training for the upcoming tour-de-force of athletic competition. Among the plethora of competitors, a number of openly LGBTQ+ athletes will similarly begin their Olympics journeys this weekend.
According to a recent report from Outsports, as many as 144 openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and non-binary athletes are slated to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games beginning this Friday, July 26.
These 144 LGBTQ+ athletes represent 25 different countries around the globe, with a record number of out men competing. Still, these openly queer athletes make up less than 2% of the total number of athletes competing in this summer’s Olympics.
Amongst the athletes competing for Team LGBTQ+ are the world’s first out trans and non-binary Olympian, an openly gay diver celebrating his fifth Olympic appearance, and Irish boxers flying the tricolour loud and proud.
Without further ado, let’s meet 25 of the openly LGBTQ+ athletes competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Argentina: Nadia Podorska – Tennis
After competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Nadia Podorska came out to the world in September of 2022 alongside fellow Argentine tennis professional Guillermina Naya. Podorska is slated to return to the Olympics this summer to compete once more in the women’s mixed doubles and singles tennis events.
The 27-year-old athlete is the only known openly LGBTQ+ athlete representing Argentina at this summer’s Games.
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Australia: Campbell Harrison – Sports Climbing
This Australian climber will make his Olympic debut this July. At 27 years old, the openly gay athlete thanked the LGBTQ+ community for their continued support after he qualified for the Games earlier this year. “May those who detest us forever f*ck off,” Harrison added.
Harrison will be joined by a plethora of openly LGBTQ+ Australian athletes in Paris, including Anneli Maley, Marena Whittle, Samantha Whitcomb, Marissa Williamson Pohlman, Natalya Diehm, Sharni Smale, Cortnee Vine, Michelle Heyman, Caitlin Ford, Katrina Gorry, Tameka Yallop, Emily van Egmond, Teagan Micah, Mackenzie Arnold, and Tyler Wright.
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Belgium: Elke Vanhoof – Cycling
Openly lesbian BMX cyclist Elke Vanhoof qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games earlier this year and was hopeful to return to represent Belgium after showing at the Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016 Games. Unfortunately, Vanhoof, 32, will no longer be competing in this year’s Games following a severe crash that left the athlete with a broken neck last month. Despite her inability to compete in this summer’s Games, Vanhoof remains the single most successful Belgian female BMX rider in history.
In Vanhoof’s stead, openly LGBTQ+ Belgian athletes like Julie Allemand, Domien Michiels, Abi Raye, Emma Puvrez, and Charlotte Englebert will be hoping to bring home some medals for Team Belgium and Team LGBTQ+ at this summer’s Olympics.
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Brazil: Rayan Dutra – Gymnastics
Competing in the individual and synchronised trampoline gymnastics events, Paris 2024 will be Dutra’s first Olympic Games. Now 22, the openly bisexual gymnast announced that he would not only compete for his home country of Brazil but also for Team LGBTQ when he qualified for the Olympics earlier this year.
Plenty of other openly queer athletes from Brazil will also be travelling to Paris this summer, including Ana Patricia, Beatriz Ferreira, Arthur Nory, Babi Arenhart, Bruna de Paula, Rafaela Silva, Marina Fiorvanti, Adriana Silva, Marta Silva, Tarciane Lima, Tamires Dias, Luciana Maria, Lorena Silva, Tania Borges, Lauren Leal, Nick Albiero, Ana Marcela Cunha, Ana Carolina Azevedo, Izabela da Silva, Gabi Guimaraes, Ana Carolina de Silva, and Rosamaria Montibeller.
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Canada: Quinn – Soccer
Known simply as Quinn, this 28-year-old Canadian soccer star made history when they became the openly first trans and non-binary Olympian at the Rio 2016 Games. At their previous Olympic appearances, Quinn has won a bronze (Rio 2016) and a gold (Tokyo 2020) medal alongside Canada’s women’s soccer team. They hope to medal once again this summer.
Quinn will be joined by their openly queer teammates Kailen Sheridan and Kadeisha Buchanan, as well as openly LGBTQ+ Canadian athletes Laurie Genest, Alena Sharp, and Olivia Apps at this summer’s Games.
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Columbia: Daniela Montoya – Soccer
Montoya, 33, came out to the world following a now-viral TikTok showing the Colombian team captain embracing her girlfriend, Renata Arango, on the sidelines after the team’s 2-1 win against Germany at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The 2024 Olympics will be Montoya’s second Games, following London 2012.
Montoya will be joined in Paris by openly LGBTQ+ Colombian athletes Jazmín Álvarez, Linda Caicedo, and Leicy Santos.
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Denmark: Catherine Laudrup-Dufour – Equestrian
The sole known queer athlete representing Denmark at the Paris Olympics will be Catherine Laudrup-Dufour. Competing in both the individual and team dressage events, this will be Laudrup-Dufour’s third consecutive Olympic appearance, though the athlete has yet to medal for Demark.
Now 32, Laudrup-Dufour is married to Rasmine Laudrup, the daughter of former professional footballer, Brian Laudrup.
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Finland: Senni Salminen – Track & Field
Senni Salminen is the only known openly LGBTQ+ athlete representing Finland at the Paris Games. After competing in the women’s triple jump event at Tokyo 2020 and not medaling, the openly lesbian track and field athlete is hopeful to bring home a medal this summer, not only for Finland but for Team LGBTQ+.
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France: Amandine Buchard – Judo
Representing her home country of France in the upcoming Games, Buchard (28) already holds two Olympic medals from her appearance at the 2020 Tokyo Games – a silver medal in the half-lightweight class and a gold medal earned with France’s mixed team. This summer, the judo athlete, who came out as a lesbian in 2021, is hoping to earn an individual gold medal for her country.
She will be joined at the Olympics by openly LGBTQ+ French athletes Mathilde Petriaux, Alice Lasgourges, Inès Lardeur, Paulina Peyraud, and Mélanie Henique.
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Germany: Timo Cavelius – Judo
Openly gay judo athlete Timo Cavelius joins this summer’s Olympic Games representing Team Germany. Cavelius will make history with his Olympic debut as the first-ever openly gay male judoka to compete in the global sporting competition. Cavelius, now 27, has been openly gay since he was 15 years old.
Cavelius will be joined at the upcoming Games by openly LGBTQ+ German athletes like Frederic Wandres, Tabea Schendekehl, Lea Schuller, Sara Doorsoun, Ann-Katrin Berger, and Felicitas Rauch.
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Great Britain: Tom Daley – Diving
Perhaps one of the most recognisable LGBTQ+ athletes competing at this year’s Olympic Games is Tom Daley. Now 30, he began his Olympic journey with Team GB when he was just 14 years old at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he became one of the youngest men to ever compete.
Since then, Daley has earned two bronze medals, one each from London 2012 and Rio 2016. Daley earned his first gold medal at Tokyo 2020 where he emerged victorious from the men’s synchronised 10-meter platform diving event with his diving partner Matty Lee.
Tom Daley is openly gay and currently lives in Los Angeles with his husband Dustin Lance Black and their two children.
Additional queer British athletes competing in Paris this summer include Kristy Gilmour, Carl Hester, Sarah Jones, Fiona Crackles, Georgia Hall, Jasmine Joyce, Kayleigh Powell, and Dan Jervis.
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Hungary: Csenge Fodor – Handball
Handball athlete Csenge Fodor will be Hungary’s sole known LGBTQ+ representative at the Paris Olympics as she makes her debut at the global athletics competition. Now 25, Fodor is openly lesbian and is in a relationship with her handball club teammate, Bruna de Paula.
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Ireland: Michaela Walsh – Boxing
Representing Ireland, Michaela Walsh will journey to her second Olympic Games this summer alongside her little brother Aidan Walsh. Hailing from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Walsh comes from a family of boxers, with her father, Damian Walsh, being a successful athlete in his own right.
Competing in the featherweight boxing division, Walsh is part of the first brother-sister duo to compete in the same sport at the same Olympic Games.
Walsh, who openly identifies as lesbian, will be joined at the Games by bisexual Irish taekwondo athlete Jack Woolley and fellow queer Irish boxer, Kellie Harrington.
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Italy: Irma Testa – Boxing
Italian featherweight boxer Irma Testa will head to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games having previously won a bronze medal in Tokyo, becoming the first Italian woman to win a medal in boxing. Testa came out publicly as queer in 2021.
She will be joined at the Games by judo athlete Alice Bellandi. The two women will be the only known LGBTQ+ representatives for Italy at this summer’s Games.
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Netherlands: Sanne van Dijke – Judo
After winning a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the women’s 70kg judo event, Sanna van Dijke will head to this summer’s Games hoping to take home the gold. Competing for the Netherlands, Dijke is an out and proud lesbian athlete who is currently in a relationship with fellow Olympic judo athlete, Natalie Powell.
Other openly LGBTQ+ Dutch athletes competing at this summer’s Games include Edward Gal, Hans Peter Minderhound, Marlene Jochems, Anne Veenendaal, Guusje Steenhuis, and Demi Schuurs.
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New Zealand: Robbie Manson – Rowing
Manson, who has competed at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, will return to compete for New Zealand in Paris this summer taking on the quadruple and double sculls rowing events. Manson, who came out publicly as gay in 2014, is also a content creator on OnlyFans.
Manson will be joined by fellow queer Kiwi athletes Clarke Johnstone, Emma Twigg, Portia Woodman, and Meikayla Moore at this summer’s Games.
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Philippines: Hergie Bacyadan – Boxing
Bacyadan, 29, is set to make his Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games, competing in the 75kg boxing division on behalf of the Philippines. While Bacyadan identifies as a trans man, he has yet to start hormone replacement therapy, meaning that he will compete in the women’s division, rather than the men’s.
Bacyadan will be joined by fellow openly queer boxer, Nesthy Petecio, at the Paris Games. The pair will be the only known LGBTQ+ athletes representing the Philippines.
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Refugee Olympic Team: Cindy Ngamba – Boxing
Competing in the middleweight boxing division at the upcoming Olympic Games, Ngamba is an openly lesbian athlete who will compete for the IOC Refugee Team, a group made up of independent Olympic participants who are refugees. Together, the IOC Refugee Team represents the more than 100 million forcibly displaced people around the world. Paris 2024 will be her Olympic debut.
Ngamba is the sole known LGBTQ+ representative on the IOC Refugee Team.
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South Africa: Kemisetso Baloyi – Rugby
Representing her home country of South Africa, Olympian Kemisetso Baloyi will celebrate her Olympic debut at this summer’s Paris 2024 Games. The 27-year-old, the openly LGBTQ+ rugby player will join the South Africa women’s sevens team to compete against the defending women’s rugby champions, Australia, on July 27.
Baloyi will be joined by openly LGBTQ+ South African Olympians Dirkie Chamberlain and Sarah Baurn at the upcoming Games.
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Spain: Borja Carrascosa – Equestrian
At 42 years old, this will be Borja Carrascosa’s very first Olympic appearance as he competes in the individual and team dressage events. In 2015, Carrascosa established the Brenninkmeijer Dressage stables with his partner, fellow dressage athlete Alex Brenninkmeijer.
Additional openly LGBTQ+ athletes competing for Team Spain at the 2024 Paris Olympics include dressage athlete Juan Antonio Jiménez Cobo, and soccer players Jenni Hermoso, Teresa Abelleira, Irene Paredes, and Alba Redondo.
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Sweden: Nathalie Hagman – Handball
Natalie Hagman, an established handball player, will be the sole openly LGBTQ+ athlete representing Sweden at this year’s Olympic Games. At 33 years old, the lesbian athlete will return for her second Olympic appearance after her team placed forth at the 2016 Rio Games. This year, Hagman is hoping to medal for Team Sweden and Team LGBTQ+.
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Thailand: Chuthamat Raksat – Boxing
Competing in the women’s 50kg boxing event for Team Thailand will be openly queer boxer Chuthamat Raksat. The 31-year-old athlete will celebrate her Olympic debut this year, but is already a well-established boxer, having won a bronze medal at the Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2022.
Raksat is the only openly LGBTQ+ athlete competing for Thailand this summer.
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Trinidad and Tobago: Michelle-Lee Ahye – Track & Field
32-year-old sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye will join Team Trinidad and Tobago for her third Olympic appearance this summer after competing in London 2012 and Rio 2016. Ahye was meant to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Games as well, but was forced to withdraw after receiving a two-year ban for drug testing “whereabouts failures”.
The openly lesbian sprinter will be the sole known LGBTQ+ representative of her country as she competes in the 100-metre, 200-metre, and 4×100-metre relay race events.
She is supported by her longtime partner, Chelsea Renee Ahye.
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Turkey: Ebrar Karakurt – Volleyball
Nicknamed ‘The Black Wolf’, Ebrar Karakurt will return for her second Olympic appearance this summer after competing in the Tokyo 2020 Games. Now 24, the volleyball star came out as lesbian in an Instagram post in 2021 and was subsequently subject to homophobic slurs. While it is not illegal to identify as LGBTQ+ in Turkey, the country has no discrimination protections in place for queer people.
Regardless, following the homophobic abuse Karakurt received, she was supported in her coming out by the Turkish National Volleyball Federation. She is the sole known LGBTQ+ competitor on Team Turkey at this year’s Olympic Games.
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United States: Nikki Hiltz – Track & Field
One of the few openly trans and non-binary athletes competing at this year’s Games, Paris 2024 will be Hiltz’s Olympic debut as she competes in the 1500-metre race for Team USA. Hiltz won the same race at an Olympic Qualifier event earlier this year. Upon winning, Hiltz dedicated the race to “all the LGBTQ folks”.
Hiltz will be joined by a long list of LGBTQ+ American athletes at this summer’s Olympics. These athletes include Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Chelsea Gray, Evy Leibfarth, Hannah Roberts, Perris Benegas, Laura Scruggs, Nina Castanga, Regina Salmons, Teal Cohen, Grace Joyce, Jessica Thoennes, Alice Hagstrom, Lauren Doyle, Steph Rovetti, Alev Kelter, Nicole Heavirland, Kris Thomas, Tierna Davidson, Sha’Carri Richardson, Nico Young, Raven Saunders, Haleigh Washington, and Kayla Miracle.
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