Record number of LGBT athletes set to compete in Tokyo Olympics
Fri. July 16, 2021 8:48 AM by Carlos Santoscoy
photo credit // unsplash.com/@kfdias
A record number of out LGBT athletes will compete in the Tokyo Olympics Games later this month.
According to Outsports, an LGBT sports blog, 141 LGBT athletes from 25 countries will take part in the games, which is twice the number of out athletes who competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Summer Olympics will also make history for hosting the first out transgender athlete. Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is the first transgender athlete to qualify for the Games. She is representing New Zealand.
"Competing at the Olympics as an openly gay athlete is pretty amazing," Canadian swimmer Markus Thormeyer said. "Being able to compete with the best in the world as my most authentic self at the biggest international multi-sport games shows how far we've come on inclusion in sport."
"I'm hoping that by competing at these Games I can show the LGBTQ community that we do belong and we can achieve anything we put our minds to," he said.
The Summer Olympics will take place without an audience due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic also delayed the Games by nearly a year. They will begin on July 23.
According to Outsports, an LGBT sports blog, 141 LGBT athletes from 25 countries will take part in the games, which is twice the number of out athletes who competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Summer Olympics will also make history for hosting the first out transgender athlete. Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is the first transgender athlete to qualify for the Games. She is representing New Zealand.
"Competing at the Olympics as an openly gay athlete is pretty amazing," Canadian swimmer Markus Thormeyer said. "Being able to compete with the best in the world as my most authentic self at the biggest international multi-sport games shows how far we've come on inclusion in sport."
"I'm hoping that by competing at these Games I can show the LGBTQ community that we do belong and we can achieve anything we put our minds to," he said.
The Summer Olympics will take place without an audience due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic also delayed the Games by nearly a year. They will begin on July 23.
This article appeared at On Top Magazine and has been published here with permission.