There have been 704 modern Olympians^{[lower-alpha 1]} (including Paralympians, Summer Olympic athletes and artists, and Winter Olympians) who have identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, non-binary, queer, and/or having an intersex condition, 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.^{[lower-alpha 2]} The 1932 Summer Olympics was the first instance of an athlete now known to be intersex competing, also winning a medal.^{[lower-alpha 3]} 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.^{[lower-alpha 1]}

The most decorated LGBT+ Olympian is British Paralympic equestrian Lee Pearson, with 17 medals including 14 golds;^{[lower-alpha 4]} the most decorated able-bodied LGBT+ Olympian is Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst, with 13 medals including 6 golds;^{[lower-alpha 5]} the most decorated able-bodied LGBT+ Summer Olympian is Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, with 9 medals including 5 golds.^{[lower-alpha 2]} LGBT+ Olympians who hold Olympic records include Wüst;^{[lower-alpha 6]} footballers Pia Sundhage and Vivianne Miedema;^{[lower-alpha 7]} rower Emma Twigg;^{[lower-alpha 8]} and triple jumper Yulimar Rojas, who also holds the world record.^{[lower-alpha 9]} At least 317 LGBT+ Olympians are medalists (45.03% of LGBT+ Olympians), of which 148 have at least one gold medal (21.02%).^{[lower-alpha 10]}

All based on the Lists of LGBTQI+ Olympians and Paralympians

More information Country, Number of Olympians ...

By country Country Number of Olympians F M NB Total  Algeria 1 — — 1  Argentina 6 — — 6  Armenia — 1 — 1  Australia 38[N 1] 9 2 49  Austria 4[N 2] 1 — 5  Belgium 9 2 — 11  Brazil 36[N 3] 6 — 42  Burundi 1 — — 1  Canada 53 20[N 4] 1 74  Chile 3 1 — 4  China 1 – – 1  Chinese Taipei 1 — — 1  Colombia 3 — — 3  Cuba — 1[N 4] — 1  Cyprus 1 — — 1  Czech Republic[N 5] 3 1 — 4  Denmark 9 3 — 12  Dominica 1 — — 1  Estonia 1[N 6] — — 1  Finland 4 1 — 5  France 9 7 — 16  Germany[N 7] 32 8 — 40  Great Britain 50[N 8] 20[N 9] — 70  Greece 2 1 — 3  India 1 — — 1  Ireland[N 10] 5 3 — 8  Israel 5 — — 5  Italy[N 11] 7 4 — 11  Japan 1 — — 1  Kenya 1 — — 1  Mexico 3 1 — 4  Namibia 2 — — 2  Netherlands 31[N 1] 9 — 40  New Zealand 17 5 — 22  Niger 1 — — 1  Nigeria 1 — — 1  Norway 16[N 8] — — 16  Peru 1 — — 1  Philippines 3 — — 3  Poland 6[N 2] 2 — 8  Puerto Rico 2 1 — 3  ROC[N 12] 4[N 6] — — 4  Singapore 1 — — 1  Slovenia 1 — — 1  South Africa[N 13] 12 3 — 15  Spain 6 5 — 11  Sweden 32[N 3] 2 — 34  Switzerland 1 — — 1  Tonga — 1 — 1  Trinidad and Tobago 1 — — 1  Turkey 1 — — 1  United States 118[N 3] 34[N 9] 5 157  Venezuela 1 2 — 3  Zambia 1 — — 1

By year Games Number of Olympians[N 14] F M NB Total 1900 Summer — 1 — 1 1904 Summer — 1 — 1 1908 Summer — 1 — 1 1912 Summer — 3 — 3 1924 Summer — 4 — 4 1928 Summer 5 4 — 9 1932 Summer 6 5 — 11 1936 Summer 4 4 — 8 1948 Summer — 5 — 5 1952 Summer 1 — — 1 1956 Winter — 1 — 1 1956 Summer 2 — — 2 1960 Summer — 1 — 1 1964 Winter — 1 — 1 1964 Summer 2 — — 2 1968 Summer 2 3 — 5 1972 Winter — 2 — 2 1972 Summer 1 2 — 3 1976 Winter — 4 — 4 1976 Summer 5 3 — 8 1980 Winter — 3 — 3 1980 Summer 1 2 — 3 1984 Winter 1 3 — 4 1984 Summer 8 4 — 12 1988 Winter 1 3 — 4 1988 Summer 7 9 — 16 1992 Winter 2 — — 2 1992 Summer 13 11 — 24 1994 Winter 3 1 — 4 1996 Summer 43 15 — 58 1998 Winter 8 — — 8 2000 Summer 45 25 — 70 2002 Winter 14 2 — 16 2004 Summer 52 14 — 68 2006 Winter 17 4 — 21 2008 Summer 89 12 — 101 2010 Winter 23 7 — 30 2012 Summer 128 16 — 144 2014 Winter 28 6 — 34 2016 Summer 188 31 2 221 2018 Winter 29 8 — 37 2020 Summer[N 15] 251 25 7 283 2022 Winter 29 11 1 41

Close

More information Sport, Number of Olympians by gender ...

By sport

Sport	Number of Olympians by gender[N 16]
	Female			Male			Non-binary	Total
	Cisgender	Transgender	Intersex	Cisgender	Transgender	Intersex
Alpine skiing & Para-alpine skiing	4	—	—	1	—	—	—	5
Archery	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	2
Athletics & Para-athletics	28	1[N 17]	9	13	2[N 18]	1[N 18]	2[N 18]	56
Badminton	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	4
Basketball & Wheelchair basketball	47	—	—	—	—	—	1[N 18]	48
Beach volleyball	7	—	—	—	—	—	—	7
Biathlon	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	2
Bobsleigh	1	—	—	1	—	—	—	2
Boxing	9	—	2	2	—	—	—	13
Canoeing and Kayaking & Paracanoe	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	5
Cross-country skiing & Para cross-country skiing	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	3
Curling	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1
Cycling & Paracycling	18[N 19]	1[N 18]	—	1	—	—	—	20
Diving	—	—	—	12	—	—	—	12
Equestrian & Para-equestrian	1	—	—	19	—	—	—	20
Fencing & Wheelchair fencing	4	—	—	1	—	—	—	5
Figure skating	5	—	—	26	—	—	1[N 17]	32
Football	152	—	1	3	—	—	1[N 18]	157
Freestyle skiing	4	—	—	1	—	—	—	5
Goalball	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	2
Golf	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	2
Gymnastics	7	—	—	11	—	—	—	18
Handball	15	—	—	—	—	—	—	15
Hockey	20	—	—	1	—	—	—	21
Ice hockey	31	—	—	—	—	—	—	31
Judo & Para Judo	16	—	1	—	—	—	—	17
Luge	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1
Rowing & Pararowing	20	—	—	4	—	—	1[N 18]	25
Rugby sevens	22	—	—	—	1[N 18]	—	—	23
Sailing	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	2
Shooting	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	5
Skateboarding	5	—	—	—	—	—	2[N 18]	7
Skeleton	4	—	—	2	—	—	—	6
Ski jumping	1	—	—	1	—	—	—	2
Snowboarding	6	—	—	—	—	—	—	6
Softball	10	—	—	—	—	—	—	10
Speed skating	7	—	—	1	—	—	—	8
Surfing	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	2
Swimming	15	—	—	21[N 20]	—	1	—	37
Table tennis	—	—	—	—	1[N 18]	—	—	1
Taekwondo & Parataekwondo	2	—	—	1	—	—	—	3
Tennis & Wheelchair tennis	18	—	—	1	—	—	—	19
Triathlon & Paratriathlon	4	—	—	1	—	—	—	5
Volleyball & Sitting volleyball	14	—	—	1	—	—	—	15
Water polo	1	—	—	1	—	—	—	2
Weightlifting	—	1[N 18]	—	—	—	—	—	1
Wrestling	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	1

Close

Notes

Athletes with disorders of sex development (DSD) may be known as intersex, with the terms often understood interchangeably; the term "hermaphrodite" is now widely discredited.^[378] DSDs are congenital conditions affecting the reproductive system, in which development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical.^[379] As a biological status, intersex people may identify as heterosexual and cisgender. However, significant overlap with the LGBT community^[380][381] and "shared experiences of harm arising from dominant societal sex and gender norms" has led to intersex people often being included under the LGBT umbrella, with the acronym sometimes expanded to LGBTI.^[382] While intersex people face specific issues that LGBT people do not,^[383] in sports they are often considered alongside transgender athletes who have transitioned, with similar barriers to participation.^[384] The athletes listed below may or may not associate with the LGBT or LGBTI community.

• LGBT issues at the Olympic and Paralympic Games
• List of LGBT sportspeople