Countries with Most LGBTQ+ Athletes in Beijing Olympics 2022

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Over the past many years, there has been a huge emphasis on increasing awareness relating to LGBTQ+ athletes and the community to change the norms of our society.

Slowly but steadily, the entire world is coming together to recognize LGBTQ+. Therefore, they have now been mainstreamed on various platforms without fear and guilt.

One such prestigious platform is the Olympic games. Recently the number of LGBTQ+ athletes has increased in the Olympics.

LGBTQ+ Athletes
LGBTQ+ Athletes in the Winter Olympics 2022 (Source: Outsports.com)

The 2022 Olympics has recorded at least 34 LGBTQ+ athletes. This number doubles because of the previous 15 LGBTQ+ athletes in the 2018 PyeongChang Games.

Further, these 34 athletes are set to compete in nine different games. Some games are hockey, figure skating, skeleton, skiing, and snowboarding.

Hence, without further due, let us view the names of counties with the most LGBTQ+ athletes in the Beijing Olympics 2022.

Countries with the Most LGBTQ+ Athletes in Beijing Olympics 2022

The country’s name and the respective number of LGBTQ+ athletes are assembled based on Olympics 2022 data.

Most of them are compiled by referencing Openlynews.com, Outsports.com, and Olympics.com.

Further, before jumping into the details about the countries with the most LGBTQ+ athletes in Beijing Olympics 2022, let us quickly view the names of the countries on the list.

Country Name Number of Athlete Games
14. Netherland One Speedskating
13. Italy One Figure Skating
12. Finland One Ice Hockey
11. Brazil one Skeleton
10. Belgium One Skeleton
9. Austria One Ski Jumping
8. Armenia One Figure Skating
7. Australia One Snowboarding
6. France Two Figure Skating
5. The Czech Republic Two Ice Hockey and Snowboarding
4. Sweden Two Skiing and Ice Hockey
3. Great Britain Four Curling, Figure Skating, and Skiing
2. The USA Six Speedskating, Skeleton, Ice Hockey, and Figure Skating
1. Canada Ten Biathlon, Figure Skating, and Ice Hockey

14. Netherland

Ireen Wüst

Ireen Wüst is the G.O.A.T for speedskating. She is a four-time back-to-back Olympic gold medalist from 2010 to 2018. Also, she might win it this year, by its looks.

Further, Ireen is out as bisexual and is very comfortable with her sexuality. However, as an LGBTQ+ athlete, she had difficulty dealing with and coming true to herself.

Initially, the skater pictured herself living a happy life as a straight person. However, she had fallen in love with a woman and was very attracted to her.

Lesbian Speedskater
The Dutch Speedskater Ireen Wüst (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Wüst always wished her attraction for women to go. She even wished there were pills to help her get these thoughts out.

Due to her being an athlete, the Olympic gold medalist was afraid that people would look down on her. Nonetheless, she fought her demons and decided to come out.

Hence, she is one of the most highly decorated LGBTQ+ athletes globally.

13. Italy

Filippo Ambrosini

Filippo Ambrosini is an openly gay Italian pair skater. He is set to participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics figure skating.

Further, the skater is taking part in two different events. One is with his current partner Ghilardi Rebecca in the pair skating event. Similarly, the second is for the Italian team in figure skating.

Ambrosini takes it to the next level when skating on ice. With his current partner, he is a three-time winner of the ISU Challenger Series.

LGBTQ+ athletes
The duo of Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Likewise, the pair have placed top ten twice at the European Championship. Moreover, they scored their career-best 178.90 combined total in the 2022 European game.

In addition, this is the first time a figure skater competed in the Olympics. No doubt, he would perform exceptionally on this level as well.

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12. Finland

Ronja Savolainen

Ronja Savolainen is an ice hockey defenseman. She plays with the Luleå HF/MSSK of the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL).

Further, she is a proud lesbian in an open relationship with her Luleå teammate Anna Kjellbin. Anna also plays the same position as her lover and is Swedish by nationality.

Even though they are at the same time in SDHL, they represent their own country for the Olympics and World Championships.

LGBTQ+ athletes
Ronja Savolainen posing in her Luleå HF/MSSK jersey (Source: Twitter.com)

Therefore, Ronja’s girlfriend also qualified for Sweden’s national team for the Olympics. They are super excited to compete with one another for a medal.

Besides that, this is the Finnish defenceman’s second Olympics. She won a bronze medal in the 2018 Pyeongchang with the Finland team.

11. Brazil

Nicole Silveira

Nicole Silveira is a successful skeleton racer. She has won four gold in the America Skeleton Cup and one gold medal in the Intercontinental Skeleton cup.

This is her first Olympics and a quite special one. She shares this platform with her girlfriend, Kim Meylemans, a Belgian skeleton racer.

Both couples are top-20 of the world ranking. Likewise, they face one another on the Olympics’ biggest platform.

Lesbian Skeleton Racer
Nicole Silveira during her training at the Women’s Skeleton at the Bobsleigh (Source: Wikimedia.org)

The couple has built a friendly rivalry with one another. When asked if they would let the other win, both replied, saying they would give their best to succeed.

However, both would be super happy if one of them won a medal because they love each other and are willing to see each other grow and move forward.

Further, they met three years ago and have grown closer ever since. They opened up about their relationship through their Instagram post.

10. Belgium

Kim Meylemans

Kim Meylemans is a German-born Belgian skeleton racer. This is her second Olympics after the 2018 Pyeongchang. In the previous Olympics, she finished 4th in the skeleton race.

In the 2018 Olympics, Kim was the first Belgian skeleton racer to compete. Further, she was just 1.80 seconds late for not winning a bronze medal that year.

However, she is much more prepared and is set to take a medal home this year. Moreover, this Olympics is special for Kim as her girlfriend Nicole joins her as her opponent.

LGBTQ+ Skeleton Racer
Kim Meylemans at the BMW IBSF World Cup Bobsleigh (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Henceforth, it would be very entertaining to see their in-game rivalry. Aside from that, Kim is widely known for her strong, outspoken behavior regarding her sexuality.

During the 2016 Russian skeleton world cup, she was harassed by many Russians for being LGBTQ. Nonetheless, the racer didn’t waver her focus and entered the tournament regardless.

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9. Austria

Daniela Iraschko-Stolz

Daniela Iraschko-Stolz is one of the most successful female skiers of our generation. She ranks third amongst female athletes in most world cup wins with 12.

She holds the highest women’s ski flying record at 200 meters. This is her first Olympics, and she looks as sharp as ever.

No doubt, with the skills and experience she possesses, the Austrian skier might win a gold medal in the 2022 Bejing Olympics.

LGBTQ+ Athletes
Daniela Iraschko-Stolz during the 2014 Winter Olympics (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Besides that, she is a lesbian who married he partner in 2014. Before her marriage, Daniela never really spoke about her preference as she thought it would demean her career.

However, the decorated skier couldn’t hold it any longer. Hence, she decided to come out by publicly marrying a woman she loved.

Hence, ever since the marriage, she has been very vocal in educating the world about LGBTQ rights and that it’s okay to come out as one.

8. Armenia

Simon Proulx Sénécal

Simon Proulx Sénécal is a Canadian-born Armenian figure skater. He, with his partner Tina Garabedian is a six-time Armenian National Champion. 

Similarly, the duo is also a four-time world champion. They had set their career-best 175.18 combined total score in the 2021 CS Golden Spin. 

Further, they are in the Olympics 2022 to extend their reign of success overseas. This is the duo’s first Olympics. It will not be easy for them as they compete against tough competition.

LGBTQ+ Figure Skater
Simon Proulx Sénécal with his partner Tina Garabedian (Source: Wikimedia.org)

However, the duo is very confident, as they have been partners since 2015. Therefore, they have built an unbreakable synergy that has given them an edge over others.

Moreover, Simon outed himself as gay and proudly embraced that on social media. Especially on his Instagram, he posts pictures with his boyfriend, David Benoit. 

7. Australia

Belle Brockhoff

Belle Brockhoff is an Australian snowboarder. She is the current champion for the 2021 mixed snowboard cross World Championships.

Following her triumphant victory, she was named an Olympic for the third time. The snowboarder never could make her presence felt in her previous two Olympics. 

However, after winning the recent world cup, Belle seems ready to win her first gold medal in the Olympics.

LGBTQ+ Player
Belle Brockhoff at the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (Source: Owia.org)

Further, Brockhoff came out as a lesbian in 2013. During this time, she was preparing for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

This Olympics marked a controversial beginning as it was held in Russia, where the Putin government prohibited LGBTQ+.

Therefore, many LGBTQ+ athletes backed off from the Olympics for their safety. However, Belle didn’t back off and went through all the harassment to perform in the Olympics.

6. France

Guillaume Cizeron

Guillaume Cizeron is an elite-level French ice dancer. Along with his partner Gabriella Papadakis, he is the first runner-up for the 2018 Olympics. 

The pair have again entered the Olympics with a dream to win it all for their country. They have even come up with an extraordinary ice dance routine. 

Furthermore, the dance is based on “wacking,” a dance style originating from the 90’s underground gay clubs. Not to mention this dance is also trending on Tiktok nowadays.

LGBTQ+ athletes
Guillaume Cizeron at the 2018 Winter Olympics (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Besides that, Cizeron is openly gay and never hides the fact about his preference. However, he got more attention after Instagrammed a picture of himself and his boyfriend.

This picture made headlines as this was probably the first time he publicly discussed it.

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Kévin Aymoz

Another notable LGBTQ+ athlete competing in the 2022 Olympics is Kévin Aymoz from France. He is a professional figure skater and a five-time French national champion.

He is an expert in figure skating who has a lot to prove. As a result, this is a golden opportunity for the skater to make a name for himself and his country in the Men Single Skating event.

Moreover, the 27-year-old athlete publicly announced his gay stature in a documentary, “We Need to Talk.” This documentary was aired in 2021, featuring six LGBTQ+ athletes.

figure skater Kévin Aymoz
Kévin Aymoz at the Internationaux de France 2019 (Source: Wikimedia.org)

One of the six athletes was Aymoz, who had already opened up to his friends and families but not the public. Hence, he always used to feel insecure about coming out to the public.

Even though France is one of the most LGBTQ-friendly countries globally, his insecurities kept him from coming out.

However, after he did the documentary, which he was skeptical about, the skater felt relieved. Therefore, Kévin feels much better and more confident going into the Olympics.

5. The Czech Republic

Sárka Pancochová

Sárka Pancochová is a professional snowboarder. She is the former number-one rank holder in Snowboard Freestyle and Slopestyle World Cup.

Further, she is a three-time Olympian, considering the 2022 Olympics she will participate in. 

Aside from that, Sárka is married to her long-time girlfriend, Kaileen. Although same-sex marriage is illegal in the Czech Republic, she did it anyway.

Nevertheless, she waited long to ensure that the country legalized same-sex marriage.

Snowboarder Sárka Pancochová
Sárka Pancochová Snowboarding in the mountains (Source: Wikimedia.org)

However, since no sign of that happening soon, she got married.

Furthermore, the snowboarder wants her nation to acknowledge this and work on legalizing same-sex marriage.

As a result, Pancochova is one of many LGBTQ+ to fight for marriage equality. As public opinion and the legislature suggest, her effort has made a difference.

Aneta Lédlová

Aneta Lédlová is a professional ice hockey player. She plays for the AIK IF of the Swedish Women’s Hockey League. Further, she is one of three players who play in the Olympics out of SDHL.

Aneta is a forward who has been on top of her game since she started playing ice hockey. However, this is her first time playing in the Olympics for her nation. 

Besides that, she is outed as a Lesbian. She married her partner in April 2018. Like Sárka Pancochová, she is also a front-runner for legalizing marriage equality. 

Likewise, the couple also adopted a baby girl in December 2020. Pictures of the couples with their daughter can be seen on Aneta’s Instagram.

4. Sweden

Anna Kjellbin

Anna Kjellbin is an ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Swedish Women’s Hockey League. She is one of three players of SDHL to be named into the 2022 Olympics games.

One person is her SDHL teammate, fellow defenceman, and her lovely girlfriend, Ronja Savolainen. Similarly, the second player is Aneta Lédlová of the AIK IF of SDHL.

Further, she is a former gold medalist in the 2012 Winter Olympics. She won a medal with the Swedish ice hockey team. 

Anna Kjellbin
Anna Kjellbin in her jersey (Source: Twitter.com)

Likewise, her goal for this Olympics is to win another gold medal. However, her girlfriend also lived the same dream in Finland’s ice hockey team.

Both of them are very excited to share their experience. Similarly, they have built up a healthy in-game rivalry and are looking to meet in the finals.

Sandra Naeslund

Sandra Naeslund is a professional freestyle skier. In addition, she is a specialist in ski cross, where she is the 2017 and 2021 ski cross world cup.

Similarly, Sandra is the champion of the 2017-18 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup. Further, this is her third Olympics game after the 2018 and 2014 games.

In both of the games, she was slightly off from being medalled. In 2014 she placed 5th, and in 2018 she placed 4th in the Women’s Ski Cross event.

Moreover, looking at her historical data, one can assume that this might be the year she gets a medal. Also, she recently got named into the 2022 Olympics games.

Sandra Näslund
Sandra Näslund during February 2016 World Cup competitions in Idre Fjäll, Sweden (Source: Wikimedia.org)

After winning the recent world cup, Naeslund has a higher chance of winning the gold medal in the Olympic games. 

Besides that, she outed herself as queer. Furthermore, despite the huge controversy over the Putin government’s approval, she is one of the few LGBTQ+ athletes that went to the 2014 Olympics. 

Sandra received a lot of harassment during her time in Russia. However, she fought against it and ranked 5th in the game.

3. Great Britain

Makayla Gerken Schofield

Makayla Gerken Schofield is a rising young skier. Further, she recently placed seventh in women’s moguls and thirteenth in the dual moguls.

As a kid, she has been skiing with her family on her holiday in France. Her siblings were a huge part of the encouragement for Makayla to take skiing as a profession.

Her siblings, both older than her, are also professional skiers. Likewise, Fatherther also encouraged them to be sporty. 

LGBTQ+ athletes
Makayla Gerken Schofield with the Great Britain Flag (Source: Gbsnowsport.com)

Aside from that, this is Schofield’s first Olympics. Similarly, she is also the first pansexual to participate in the Olympics in history.

Many people refer to her be bisexual, but she disagrees. The British skier adds, saying she has not been limited in sexual choice. Hence, she prefers to be outed as a pansexual.

Gus Kenworthy

Gus Kenworthy is one of the most decorated freestyle skiers from Britain. In addition, he competes in slopestyle and halfpipe. Further, this is his third appearance in the Winter Olympics.

Kenworthy won a silver medal in the 2014 Olympics held in Russia. This was an emotional moment for Gus as he was terrified due to the harassment of LGBTQ+ in Russia.

However, he overcame all of his fear and fought his way to secure the runner-up position. After winning the title, the athlete was interviewed on ESPN and came out as gay.

Gus Kenworthy (Source: Gay Star News)
Gus Kenworthy (Source: Gay Star-News)

He added that he finally wanted to break out of the fear he had been living. Gus even goes on social media to educate his audience about not giving in to fear.

Most notably, he has a YouTube account with above 52.9k subscribers. He has also posted videos about the 2022 Bejing Olympics and his experience.

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Lewis Gibson

Lewis Gibson is a Scottish ice dancer. He and his partner Lilah Fear are four-time British Skating champions. Similarly, the duo has been on top of their hierarchy since they started.

Therefore, selecting them to represent Team Great Britain was very easy. However, they had also faced setbacks in the previous Olympics due to multiple injuries.

Lewis Gibson
Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson at the 2019 Skate Canada (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Finally, the two got their opportunity and will surely make each moment count. Aside from that, Lewis recently came out as gay, which followed his marriage with his husband.

He says previous LGBTQ+ athletes have inspired him to be proud of who he is. Therefore, with no fear and regrets, Gibson is also ready to join team LGBTQ in the Olympics.

Bruce Mouat

Bruce Mouat is a Scottish curler who serves as a team captain on the World Curling Tour. He recently won the 2021 World Mixed Doubles Championship.

Likewise, he also won the 2021 European Championship. Overall, Bruce is a two-time European, three-time Sottish, and one-time Winter Universiade champion.

Bruce Mouat
Bruce Mouat practicing Curling (Source: Heraldscotland.com)

Further, the athlete mentions that his success in curling came out as gay eight years ago with his teammates. Ever since then, he has been making headlines in the sport.

As a result, the first-time Olympian, Mouat, believes his lucky charm will still work. Therefore, Great Britain’s team can expect at least one medal from the athlete.

2. The USA

Jason Brown

Jason Brown is one of three figure skaters to come out for the recent pride month. Brown issued a statement on his Twitter account, shocking most of his fans.

Brown is an American figure skater who won a bronze medal in the 2014 Olympics for the team event. Likewise, he is also the 2015 U.S. National Champion.

Brown has always stayed private about his personal life. Very few people knew about his sexuality, as he was uncomfortable talking about it.

Jason Brown
Jason Brown at the 2018 Internationaux de France (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Surely coming out can be a very traumatizing experience. Straight people don’t have to come out. Accordingly, more than half of the world’s population doesn’t know its pressure.

Jason felt that pressure and thought it best not to reveal his status. However, with more LGBTQ+ athletes coming out and sharing their experiences, Brown thought it was his time.

Amber Glenn

Amber Glenn is a figure skater who is the only female LGBTQ+ skater in team USA. Further, she is the 2021 U.S. national and CS Golden Spin of Zagreb’s silver medalist.

Similarly, she also finished top ten twice in the ISU championship. Amber, who identifies as hersisexual and pansexual, is a huge LGBTQ+ role model in American society.

This is because there are plenty of male LGBTQ figure skaters. However, a female figure skater is very rarely seen or heard of.

Amber Glenn
Amber Glenn at 2019 Skate America (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Hence, for her to come out in such odd situations is courageous. However, similar to many people coming out was not an easy transition for her.

The fear of not being accepted was a huge struggle for Glenn. Nonetheless, she was very clear about not hiding her true identity.

Besides that, Amber is currently on the reserve list for Team USA’s women’s single squad. However, the management has not decided if she will get to perform in the team event.

Timothy LeDuc

Timothy LeDuc is the first non-binary athlete to compete in the Olympics. Non-binary is a term used for people that feel their gender can’t be defined.

Initially, Timothy came out as gay to his parents at 18. But, unable to cope with their son’s sexuality, their parents referred him to a Christian who tried to make him straight.

The Christian gave LeDuc conversion therapy which the athlete rejected. Hence, after being unable to do anything, Timothy’s parents gave up their efforts and accepted the fact.

Timothy LeDuc
The duo of Cain and LeDuc at the 2018 Rostelecom Cup (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Later, he discovered that he didn’t want to be just defined as a specific gender. So, as a result, he identified himself as non-binary.

LeDuc and his partner Ashley Cain-Gribble got a spot on Team USA after claiming their second national title. Further, Ashley is also an LGBTQ+ athlete. 

The duo is the first openly LGBTQ+ athletes to compete at the Olympics in figure skating.

Alex Carpenter

Alex Carpenter is an ice hockey player currently the team captain of the KRS Vanke Rays of the Women’s Hockey League. Further, she won a silver medal in the 2014 Olympics with Team USA.

Likewise, she is a five-time IIHF World Women’s Champion. Overall she is the full package as a forward. She got her skills from her Father, Bobby Carpenter, a former NHL player.

Besides, she is a lesbian and the only LGBTQ+ athlete in the United States ice hockey Olympic team. Furthermore, Alex is in a loving relationship with her partner Steph Klein.

Alex Carpenter
Team USA forward Alex Carpenter (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Steph is a huge supporter of Carpenter. She has stated that her Instagram account is the official fan page for Alex.

Steph’s Instagram account lives up to its name, filled with pictures of the ice hockey player.

Andrew Blaser

Andrew Blaser is a new name in the sports community. However, he has not failed to assert his dominance in the skeleton race—no wonder why he secured a spot in the Olympics.

Andrew outed himself as gay and is the only openly gay skeleton racer from the USA. Further, he is very vocal about his sexuality on social media, especially his Instagram.

Blaser includes a rainbow flag in his Instagram bio. Similarly, he is also seen using many LGBTQ-themed hashtags in his posts.

Andrew Blaser
Andrew Blaser shows his love for his home state Idaho (Source: Cowdycactus.com)

Besides that, this is the first time Andrew competing at a global level. He pointed out this experience to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.

He also said he would try his best to get his country a gold medal on his first try.

Brittany Bowe

Brittany Bowe is a veteran speed skater who secured her Olympic spot for the third time. Unfortunately, her first Olympic game in 2014 was quite depressing as she didn’t perform well.

However, Brittany takes her athletic life very seriously. Therefore, she gave her heart and sweat in training to achieve the dream of winning a medal in the Olympics.

She made this moment count when she got named an Olympian for the second time. Hence, Bowe delivered an outstanding performance that secured her the bronze medal.

Brittany Bowe
The famous American speed skater Brittany Bowe (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Further, with her dominating performance in the 1000-meter speed skating Olympic trial, she is the front runner for winning a gold medal this year.

Besides that, Brittany is outed as a lesbian and is one of the oldest LGBTQ+ athletes in the Olympics this year. 

1. Canada

Micah Zandee-Hart

Micah Zandee-Hart is a Canadian ice hockey player. She plays for the Cornell Big Red women’s ice hockey and the Canadian national team. 

Further, she is one of seven LGBTQ+ ice hockey players to make it to Canada’s Olympic ice hockey team. Hart outed herself as a proud lesbian. 

Micah Zandee-Hart
Micah Zandee-Hart playing for Team Canada in 2017 (Source: Wikimedia.org)

She is often seen posting about the LGBTQ movement. She also feels empowered to have many teammates join team LGBTQ in the Olympics.

Aside from that, the defenceman has won a bronze medal with Team Canada in the 2019 IIHF World Women’s Championship. She also has a silver medal in the U18 world championship.

Jill Saulnier

Jill Saulnier is one of seven ice hockey players in Canada’s women’s hockey national team. Further, this is the forward’s second Olympic representation. 

She was also selected in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics team that won silver. Similarly, Jill was also on the Canadian team that won the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championships.

Jill Saulnier
Jill Saulnier with the Canadian National Women’s Hockey team (Source: Theicegarden.com)

Overall, the athlete has one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal in the World Championships. Similarly, she also has a gold medal in the under 18 world championship.

The lesbian player has also been on top of her game. As a result, she is a vital part of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League’s Les Canadiennes de Montéal team.

Jamie Lee Rattray

Jamie Lee Rattray is an ice hockey forward. She is one of seven LGBTQ+ ice hockey players on the Canadian ice hockey Olympics roster. Further, she plays for the Markham Thunder.

Likewise, she was also part of the Canadian national team that won the 2021 IIHF Women’s World cup. Overall, she has one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal in the World cup.

Jamine Lee Rattary
Jamie Lee Rattray, the forward for the national team of Canada (Source: hockeycanada.ca)

Moreover, this is her first Olympics game, where she will be a backup forward. She has a brilliant offensive game. As a result, her coming off the bench will boost the team.

Due to the team’s excellent performance in the 2021 world cup, many believe them to be the front runners for winning the Olympics this year.

Mélodie Daoust

Mélodie Daoust is a female ice hockey player for the Canadian national team. She has played with the team in various international games throughout her career.

Daoust won a gold medal with the team in the 2014 winter Olympics. Similarly, she was also on the roster that won silver in the 2018 winter Olympics.

Mélodie Daoust
Mélodie Daoust in her Canadian national team jersey (Source: Mcgill.ca)

She is looking forward to adding another medal to her gold and silver Olympic medal collection. Further, Daoust outed herself as a lesbian.

Therefore, she is one of seven LGBTQ members of the Canadian Olympics ice hockey team.

Emily Clark

Emily Clark is a female ice hockey player for Team Canada. After winning a silver medal in the 2018 winter games, this is her second selection for the Olympics.

The forward is super excited to be a part of the Olympics squad. Since then, he’s had a high chance of team Canada winning gold. The lesbian player is pumped up.

If the Canadian team wins the Olympics, they would be the first team with seven LGBTQ+ athletes to have won gold in Olympics.

Emily Clark
Emily Clark playing for Team Canada in 2017 (Source: Wikimedia.org)

This is a huge accomplishment for the LGBTQ+ community. Not just one but seven LGBTQ+ athletes sharing the floor is historical.

This signifies that no matter the sexuality, all athletes compete for one thing. Hence, whether you are straight or LGBTQ, the thing that matters is one’s work, not one’s sexuality.

Erin Ambrose 

Erin Ambrose is a female ice hockey player for the Canadian national team. She is a defenceman who has helped teamcoupleada win some crucial matches.

Some of those matches are the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championships. The defenceman outsmarted the opponent and ensured nothing got past her.

She has always been in the prime of her game. She is also why Canada won two U18 world championship games in 2010 and 2012.

Erin Ambrose
Erin Ambrose in her ice hockey jersey (Source: Twitter)

Currently, she plays in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). Aside from that, Erin outed herself as a proud lesbian. 

She has always been very vocal about her sexuality. Whether on interviews or social media, Ambrose never hid her true identity.

Brianne Jenner

Brianne Jenner is the best in the business of ice hockey. She has been with the Canadian national team since 2010, when the player made her debut in the Four Nations Cup.

Even after 12 years, Jenner is still on top of her game. She led the way for the Canadian team in winning the gold medal in the 2014 Olympics.

Also, she’s why the team fought to the end to secure a silver medal in the 2018 Olympics ice hockey game.

Brianne Jenner
Brianne Jenner playing for Team Canada in 2017 (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Overall, she has been the driving force for team Canada. Brianne has made countless contributions to winning a title, even in the World Championships.

Besides that, Jenner is also a member of team LGBTQ. The ice hockey player outed herself as a lesbian. Furthermore, she’s proud to be on a team with seven LGBTQ+ athletes.

Eric Radford

It’s impossible to think the Canadian figure skater Eric Radford is not competing in the Olympics. However, that nearly happened as he announced his retirement on April 25, 2018.

Nevertheless, as the saying goes, one can never keep the bee away from its hive; Radford returned from his debut. He couldn’t stay away from figure skating as he thought he would.

Therefore, Radford, with his partner Venessa James started making headlines again. They won silver in the 2021 CS Autumn Classic International. 

Similarly, the duo finished fourth in the 2021 Grand Prix and 2022 Canadian Championship. As a result, they were selected to represent Canada in the Olympics for the third time.

Eric Radford as the Olympic LGBTQ+ atheletes
Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford at the 2015 World Figure Skating Championship (Source: Wikimedia.org)

In the 2014 Olympics, the duo of Radford and Duhamel secured the seventh position. Likewise, in the 2018 Olympics, the same duo team a bronze medal.

Not to mention, Radford was in the team that won gold. Also, as an individual performer, he sacked a silver medal in the free skate event.

Besides that, Eric outed himself as gay. Further, he takes pride in knowing that he is a part of the LGBTQ team that seems to grow in number in every Olympics.

Paul Poirier

It has been less than a year since the figure skater Pal Poirier came out as gay. He had been hiding his identity for a very long time. However, now the time seems perfect.

Poirier is very focused on winning his first Olympic medal with the fear of coming out sidelined. This is his second Olympic selection with his partner Piper Gilles.

The duo initially competed in the 2018 Olympics, where they placed eighth. Now their target is straight for the gold medal. Nonetheless, as they set Fire to their dance routine, this might be their year.

LGBTQ+ atheletes
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier at the 2019 Four Continents podium (Source: Wikimedia.org)

Overall, Paul feels extremely excited to be a part of the LGBTQ team making history by increasing its members in the Olympics.

In the previous Olympics, the skater had not revealed his true identity. However, now he can openly compete and be proud of himself in the Olympic games.

Megan Bankes

The only LGBTQ+ member to compete in the Biathlon event is Megan Bankes. This is her first Olympic selection; she has only competed in the World Championship began a rising star who has proved worthy of the Olympic spot. However, she is a very private person who focuses on her game than her personal life.

As a result, she posts more about her games, even on her social media. However, she has never hidden the fact about her sexuality.

Megan Bankes a the LGBTQ+ atheletes
Megan Bankes in her Biathlon gear (Source: fasterskier.com)

In a post done in September 2020, Bankes outed herself as gay while posting a picture holding the LGBTQ flag.

She adds that she didn’t want to exhaust herself by hiding her identity. Therefore, she’s letting herself out and being free of her burden.

Conclusion

It’s great to see many people finding their true identities. But it’s even greater to see these LGBTQ+ athletes have the courage to come out and yet compete at a higher level.

This is a very proud moment for these individual LGBTQ+ athletes. The reason it’s such a great feat to achieve is that, in most countries, being a part of the LGBTQ+ is a life-threatening experience.

However, these individuals have pushed the stereotypical behavior of society and shown them how strong they are.

Similarly, they have set a bar for all the other LGBTQ+ from different countries to never be scared for themselves.

Hence, we all appreciate and admire their dedication and hard work supporting them.

Further, this also helps the cause of raising more awareness in all parts of the world in concern with LGBTQ+ rights.

Sanjib Sah
Sanjib Sah
Sanjib Sah is an engineer and content writer passionate about sports and athletics. With a background in engineering and a love for all things active, Sanjib brings a unique perspective to the world of sports writing. Whether he is covering the latest trends in sports technology or sharing tips on improving your game, Sanjib's words are always rooted in a deep appreciation for players' hard work and dedication everywhere. In his free time, you can find him hitting the courts or hitting the trails, always looking for new ways to challenge himself and improve his skills.

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