The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio don’t officially kick off until tonight, but already this year is breaking records.
The games will have the most publicly out LGBTQ athletes in Olympic history, which a whopping 44 athletes (plus three coaches) from all across the world. That’s up from 23 in 2012.
Related: Gay, Bi Men Prefer Olympic Aquatics, Team GB Shows Why
Outsports and LGBTQ historian Tony Scupham-Bilton have been keeping very close tabs on all the out athletes competing this year and, they say, the number will likely grow as they continue their coverage.
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“We expect the list to grow as more athletes are revealed to be out,” editors write. “This often occurs on team sports in Europe or in lesser-know sports where athletes are out but haven’t gotten much publicity.”
Related: That Time AIDS Activists Hijacked The Olympic Rings To Encourage Protected Sex
Here’s the official list (so far!) compiled by Outsports:
Nicola Adams (Great Britain, boxing)
Seimone Augustus (USA, basketball)
Tom Bosworth (Great Britain, race walk)
Dutee Chand (India, track & field)
Tom Daley (Great Britain, diving)
Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel (Netherlands, field hockey)
Lisa Dahlkvist (Sweden, soccer)
Elena Delle Donne (USA, basketball)
Katie Duncan (New Zealand, soccer)
Nilla Fisher (Sweden, soccer)
Amini Fonua (Tonga, swimming)
Larissa França (Brazil, beach volleyball)
Edward Gal (Netherlands, equestrian)
Kelly Griffin (USA, rugby)
Brittney Griner (USA, basketball)
Carl Hester (Great Britain, equestrian)
Michelle Heyman (Australia, soccer)
Mélanie Henique (France, swimming)
Stephanie Labbe (Canada, soccer)
Alexandra Lacrabère (France, handball)
Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden, soccer)
Ari-Pekka Liukkonen (Finland, swimming)
Robbie Manson (New Zealand, rowing)
Hans Peter Minderhoud (Netherlands, equestrian)
Ian Matos (Brazil, diving)
Angel McCoughtry (USA, basketball)
Nadine Müller (Germany, discus)
Marie-Eve Nault (Canada, soccer)
Ashley Nee (USA, kayak whitewater slalom)
Maartje Paumen (Netherlands, field hockey)
Mayssa Pessoa (Brazil, handball)
Jillion Potter (USA, rugby)
Megan Rapinoe (USA, soccer)
Helen Richardson-Walsh (Great Britain, field hockey)
Kate Richardson-Walsh (Great Britain, field hockey)
Carolina Seger (Sweden, soccer)
Caster Semenya (South Africa, track & field)
Martina Strutz (Germany, pole vault)
Melissa Tancredi (Canada, soccer)
Susannah Townsend (Great Britian, field hockey)
Sunette Stella Viljoen (South Africa, javelin)
Julia Vasconcelos (Brazil, taekowndo). Julia confirmed to Claudia Custodio (@Cau__ on Twitter) with ESPN Brazil that she is a lesbian.
Jeffrey Wammes (Netherlands, gymnastics)
Spencer Wilton (Great Britain, equestrian)
h/t: Outsports
robho3
I think that’s really awesome!
charlie_jackpot
Seems it’s easier to be an out gay woman in sports
crowebobby
It’s not apropos of this article, but it seems like there’s a good chance participants may end up with life-long if not life threatening illnesses from the water and other pollutants down there. Remember Legionnaires disease.
Billy Budd
The opening ceremony was glorious. And the word diversity was mentioned many times. I am very proud.
He BGB
Good to hear. The gymnasts and swimmers have such hot tattoo free bodies.
Raphael
Actually, it should be “The 2016 Winter Olympics”
DCguy
Unless you are in the U.S. TV will never mentioned any gayness here.
Brian
How sad that there are no males from the United States in this list!! What’s happening, America? Are liberals in America not open-minded enough to accept an openly homosexual male sports star? I thought New York and LA and San Francisco were open-minded places but it’s obviously not the case.
Note also that there are far more women on the list. Liberal societies have always been far more accepting of female homosexuality than male homosexuality. In a way, women have benefited from this privilege at our expense as males.
Sometimes women need to be told that we men are angry at the privileges they’ve been given. And I couldn’t give a rat’s ass if I offend lesbians on this. Lesbians have oppressed male homosexuals through history but now it’s time to oppress them back.
Hermes
@Brian: Nope, the liberals have no problem. Some other folk may.