Meet the LGBTI athletes competing at the Winter Olympics 2018
Meet the athletes flying the rainbow flag in Korea at the Winter Olympics
Only 0.2% of the athletes at the Winter Olympics identify as gay or bisexual.
Out of the 2,952 Olympians competing in PyeongChang, Korea, there are only seven who will be flying the rainbow flag.
Four years ago, in homophobic Russia, there were six openly gay or bi athletes.
In Rio, there was a record 53 openly LGBTI athletes, comprising of 11 men and 42 women.
Of those 53, 19 of them won a medal solo or in a group.
But will coming out mean medal success for these athletes?
Gus Kenworthy — United States (Freestyle Skier)
While this may be Gus Kenworthy’s second Olympics, it will be his first as being an openly gay athlete.
Winning a silver medal in Sochi, he said he felt ‘horrible’ about being closeted at the Russian Games.
He came out in 2015, and has become a high profile star.
‘Very proud to be heading to Korea on behalf of my family, my hometown, the USA and the LGBTQ community!!! Woohoo!!!’ he said.
He has already confirmed that he will not accept a White House invitation from Donald Trump.
Adam Rippon — United States (Figure Skater)
Adam Rippon, who was the US national champion in 2016, will be making his Olympic debut in Korea.
‘I don’t really care what other people think of me. I’m able to go out there and I’m really able to be unabashedly myself,’ he said, according to the Washington Post.
‘I want somebody who’s young, who’s struggling, who’s not sure if it’s OK if they are themselves to know that it’s OK.’
He has also been asked on what it is like to be a gay man in sports.
‘And I said it’s exactly like being a straight athlete,’ Rippon said. ‘Only with better eyebrows.’
Daniela Iraschko- Stolz — Austria (Ski Jumper)
Ski jumper Daniela Iraschko- Stolz returns for her second Olympic Games.
Winning silver in Sochi, she married her partner Isabel in 2013 and came out publicly before Sochi.
‘I don’t want to hide myself,’ she said. ‘I never cared at all what other people think about me.’
Eric Radford — Canada (Figure Skater)
Eric Radford is another second-time Olympian, but like Kenworthy will be his first as an openly gay athlete.
In late 2014, when he came out, he became the first international-level figure skater to come out publicly while still competing.
After winning silver, a Canadian reporter asked him who was in Sochi to support him.
Radford replied: ‘Oh my family, some friends, and my boyfriend.’
His fiance is Luis Fenero, also a competitive ice dancer.
Cheryl Maas — Netherlands (Halfpipe Snowboarder)
Cheryl Maas is at her third Winter Olympics competing for the Netherlands.
The two-time world champion is married to former snowboarder Stine Brun Kjedlaas. The couple have two children together.
While many athletes were against the idea of promoting gay rights at Sochi, Maas decided to do something different.
She decided to hold a middle finger up to Russia’s gay propaganda law and wear rainbow gloves during the competition.
Ireen Wüst — Netherlands (Speed Skater)
Ireen Wüst is at her fourth Olympic Games. The openly bisexual skater competed and medaled in Turin, Vancouver and Sochi.
She won a gold medal in Sochi and is expected to medal again.
Wüst is also notable for having received a ‘cuddle’ from President Vladimir Putin in Russia.
Her partner, Letitia de Jong, is also a competitive speed skater.
Belle Brockhoff — Australia (Snowboard Cross)
‘I want to be proud of who I am and be proud of all the work I’ve done to get into the Olympics and not have to deal with this law,’ Brockhoff said.
Commentators are calling her a ‘major contender’ to medal in Korea, despite her recent knee injury.
“I want to be proud of who I am and be proud of all the work I’ve done to get into the Olympics and not have to deal with this law,” Brockhoff said.
Barbara Jezeršek — Australia (Cross-country Skiing)
Barbara Jezeršek will compete at her third Olympics this year.
While she competed at Vancouver and Sochi for her native Slovenia, she became an Australian citizen after moving to the country in 2016.
Words by Joe Morgan
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Originally published at www.gaystarnews.com on February 5, 2018.
