Team LGBTQ took 32 medals in the Tokyo Olympics.
If Team LGBTQ, an entirely unofficial denotation celebrating the nearly 170 publicly out gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, or otherwise queer athletes currently competing, was a country, they would rank seventh in the world.
Team LGBT won eleven gold medals, twelve silvers, and nine bronzes. In the number of individual and team medals, they ranked ahead of Canada and just behind France.
The gold medalists making Team LGBTQ proud are from all corners of the globe, in every kind of sport.
- Kelly Brazier, Gayle Broughton, Ruby Tui, and Portia Woodman are the LGBTQ members of the New Zealand rugby team that won the 2020 Olympic season.
- Amandine Buchard, from France, took gold in a record 16 seconds in Judoka. It is her second medal at Tokyo.
- Tom Daley is at his fourth Olympic Games, his second as an out gay man. He took gold for synchronized diving for Great Britain.
- Stefanie Dolson and her team won USA gold for 3×3 basketball. Dolson was the highest scorer in the winning game.
- Yulimar Rojas broke a 26-year-old world track and field record handily in the triple jump, taking her gold for Venezuela.
- Emma Twigg, also back for her fourth Olympics, won gold for New Zealand as her first-ever Olympic medal.
- Alexandra Lacrabère and Amandine Leynaud took home the gold as part of France’s hardball team.
- Kellie Harrington won gold boxing for Ireland.
- Sue Bird, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, and Dianna Taurasi took gold as members of the USA’s women’s basketball team.
- Quinn, Kadeisha Buchanan, Erin McLeod, Kailen Sheridan, and Stephanie Labbe won gold as part of Canada’s soccer team.
- Ana Marcela Cunha won gold for Brazil in the 10km swim. She had never before won an Olympic or World title.
Silver medalists:
- Hannah Roberts, USA, BMX Freestyle
- Raven Saunders, USA, track and field – shot put
- Astrid Guyart, France, fencing – women’s team foil
- Erica Sullivan, USA, swimming
- Katarzyna Zillmann, Poland, rowing
- Amandine Buchard, France, judo – 52kg
- Ally Carda, Amanda Chidester, Haylie McCleney, USA, softball
- Ana Carolina, Carol Gattaz, Brazil, volleyball
- Ramsey Angela, Netherlands, track – 4×400 relay
- Magdalena Eriksson, Lina Hurtig, Hedvig Lindahl, Caroline Seger, Sweden, soccer
- Jolanta Ogar, Poland, sailing
- Nesthy Petecio, Philippines, boxing
Bronze medalists:
- Raz Hershko, Israel, judo – mixed team
- Jasmin Grabowski, Germany, judo – mixed team
- Lucilla Boari, Italy, archery
- Sanne van Dijke, Netherlands, judo
- Carl Hester, Great Britain, equestrian – team dressage
- Larissa Franklin, Joey Lye, Canada, softball
- Tom Daley, Great Britain, diving – 10m platform
- Susannah Townsend, Leah Wilkinson, Sarah Jones, Great Britain, field hockey
- Megan Rapinoe, Tierna Davidson, Adrianna Franch, Kelley O’Hara, USA, soccer
Image: Glynsimages2013 / Shutterstock.com