There is a commonality among athletes who publicly come out: they all say it was one of the best things they ever did.
Given the dearth of out male athletes, it’s understandable that many of the stories about gay sports figures center around fear. But with each passing year, that narrative is changing.
There are more out LGBTQ+ athletes than ever before, and few of them ever express regret about coming out. In fact, many of them say they wish they took the step sooner.
This phenomenon is especially apparent among Olympic athletes. At least 186 out athletes competed at the 2020 Tokyo Games, and at least 36 competed in the 2022 Beijing Games. This summer in Paris, the numbers are expected to be just as high.
While it’s hard to highlight only a few stories, click though for five all-time Olympic greats who came out and express zero regret. If there is a more uplifting way to get ready for the upcoming weekend, we would like to hear it!
TomH
It was Pyeongchang (S. Korea) in 2018, not Pyongyang (N. Korea). Editors please!
n0404
Also Gus Kenworthy was a SKIER, not a snowboarder for gods sake.
ingyaom
…and didn’t he ski for the UK?
southernscot
Would have liked to have seen John Curry mentioned, Gold in Men’s figure skating at Innsbruck in 1976. First time I remember seeing a gay man at the Olympics.
abfab
Coming out publicy. Ponder that.