At least 193 out LGBTQ+ athletes are competing in the Paris Olympics and they have already raked in at least 10 medals. Women outnumber men nine to one on Team LGBTQ+, so the Olympic news skews sapphic! Here’s all you need to know about the first week of the 2024 games.
1. The first medal for Team LGBTQ+ went to a French woman
The French judo athlete Amandine Buchard took home a bronze.
2. Judo athlete won gold and celebrated by kissing her girlfriend
Out Olympian Alice Bellandi won Italy its first Olympic gold medal in judo since 2008 and, bloody-mouthed from competition, kissed her girlfriend on TV.
#AliceBellandi vince uno strepitoso oro nel judo e corre ad abbracciare e a baciare la sua fidanzata❤️
Finalmente un meraviglioso gesto di amore ed inclusione dopo 48 oscene ore di voluta discriminazione e divisione nei confronti di Imane Khelif pic.twitter.com/VwQYeGs86B— ApocaFede (@DrApocalypse) August 1, 2024
3. American BMX silver medalist also stole a public smooch with her girlfriend
Perris Benegas won her first Olympic medal and then kissed her girlfriend Mikaela Herres.
La statunitense Perris Benegas, dopo l’argento olimpico nelle finale di ciclismo freestyle BMX femminile, corre a festeggiare la vittoria con un bacio alla sua ragazza Mikaela Herres.
Viva le #Olimpiadi di tutte e tutti!#LGBT #Paris2024 #GiochiOlimpici #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/vd2CMBdHZu — radio__zek 🏳️🌈 (@radio__zek) August 1, 2024
4. USA women’s rugby team, with six out players, medals
It was the first time U.S. women’s rugby ever made it to a final and the first time U.S. rugby had won a medal in 100 years. Taking home bronze, the American women’s rugby team is one of the queerest with six out players, four of whom played in the final match.
5. German rower was one of the first out pansexual athletes to win an Olympic medal
Tabea Schendekehl won a bronze medal for the German women’s quad sculls rowing team. “I’ve always felt very comfortable in the LGBTQ community,” she told Outsports, “and earlier last year I realized that I definitely am interested in dating people other than straight cis men. I am incredibly grateful to have friends who are supporting me on my LGBTQ journey.”
6. Boxer playing for the Refugee Olympic Team won first match
Cindy Ngamba, who is from Cameroon and lives in the United Kingdom, advanced to the quarterfinals of women’s 75 kg boxing. Ngamba has refugee status in part due to Cameroon’s severe anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Her British citizenship was not awarded before the Games and she was the flagbearer for the Refugee Olympic Team.
7. Australian rugby player wore rainbow headgear
Sharni Smale wore her rainbow headgear for the second Olympics in a row. The International Olympic Committee does not often allow exceptions to uniform rules but granted this to Smale in Tokyo. “The rainbow headgear is really important to me,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald. “It’s that visibility piece for myself and for my community. It’s finally being comfortable with myself.”
Icon, legend, pioneer.
Sharni Smale has announced that she will be retiring from the Australian Sevens following the Paris 2024 Olympics 💚💛
Read more 📲 https://t.co/pwVauLTqOT#Aussie7s pic.twitter.com/LEdiXCmmvi
— Australia Sevens (@Aussie7s) July 20, 2024
8. Two wives are competing for different teams at the Games
Sprinters Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago and Crystal Emmanuel-Ahye of Canada competed in the same races against each other in 2016 in Rio and 2021 in Tokyo and may face each other directly again in Paris, their first Games since marrying each other in the U.S. a year ago.
