Women Dominate Slender Ranks of Gay Olympians

Of the 11 out gay athletes at the summer Olympics, 10 were women

More than 10,000 athletes from around the world may have competed in the Beijing Olympics, but only 11, or .0011 percent, were publicly out or known to be lesbian, gay or bisexual. Ten of the 11 were women.

The out lesbians, as compiled by gay sports Web site outsports.com, are: Judith Arndt (Germany, cycling); Imke Duplitzer (Germany, fencing); couple Gro Hammerseng and Katja Nyberg (Norway, handball); Natasha Kai (U.S., soccer); Lauren Lappin (U.S., softball); Victoria Svensson (Sweden, soccer); Rennae Stubbs (Australia, tennis); and Linda Bresonik (Germany, soccer). Vicky Galindo of the U.S. softball team is bisexual.

Kai, Hammerseng and Nyberg won gold medals in their respective sports of soccer and handball, Lappin and Galindo took silver in softball, and Bresonik won a bronze medal in soccer.

The lone out gay man, diver Matthew Mitcham of Australia, won the gold medal in the 10-meter platform in a remarkable performance on August 23. Controversy ensued when Olympics broadcast network, NBC, did not report his sexuality.


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