37 Olympic Events with LGBT Athletes to Watch This Week

Photo: Instagram (@mccoughtry)

Want to cheer on all the LGBT athletes at the Olympics this week? We’ve got you covered. Here are the events from Monday, August 8th to Sunday, August 14th where LGBT athletes will be competing.

Monday, August 8th

 

A photo posted by BrittneyGriner (@brittneygriner) on Aug 6, 2016 at 5:53am PDT

Women’s basketball tournament, United States vs. Spain
LGBT athletes to watch: Elena Delle Donne, Seimone Augustus, Brittney Griner, Angel McCoughtry
Elena Delle Donne came out two days before Rio’s opening ceremonies. The WNBA Chicago Sky player announced her engagement to Amanda Clifton in Vogue’s August issue. Seimone Augustus is a two-time US Olympic gold medalist, and five-time all-star Basketball World Champion. Augustus is an out lesbian, and her relationship with her wife LaTaya Varner is major #RelationshipGoals. Brittney Griner is one of America's most famous female basketball players, and came out as a lesbian in 2013. Angel McCoughtry is also a player for the Atlanta Dream. She’s received overwhelmingly supportive comments after coming out.

Men’s synchronized 10m platform
LGBT athlete to watch: Tom Daley
English diver Tom Daley earned the bronze medal for the 10-meter dive at the 2012 Olympics. He came out the following year and started dating Dustin Lance Black, the screenwriter for Milk.

Women’s field hockey tournament, Netherlands vs. South Korea
LGBT athletes to watch: Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel, Maartje Paumen
Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel is a Dutch field hockey player. She will play alongside her partner, Maartje Paumen to try to earn the third gold medal in a row for the Netherlands.

Women’s field hockey tournament, Great Britain vs. India
LGBT athletes to watch: Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh, Susannah Townsend
British lesbian power couple Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh will be the first same-sex married couple to compete together at the Olympics. Teammate Susannah Townsend will join Kate and Helen in a quest for the gold medal in Rio.

Women’s rugby sevens semifinals, United States vs. Fiji
LGBT athlete to watch: Kelly Griffin, Jillion Potter
American rugby player Kelly Griffin is one of 12 players comprising the US’s first Olympic Women’s Rugby Team. She’s married to Ashley Griffin and has two children. Griffin will be joined by out rugby player Jillion Potter, who survived a spinal injury and a rare form of cancer to compete in the Rio Olympics. Potter is married to Carol Fabrizio.

Women’s kayak single preliminaries
LGBT athlete to watch: Ashley Nee
Out athlete Ashley Nee will represent the USA in whitewater rafting.

Women’s handball tournament, Brazil vs. Romania
LGBT athlete to watch: Mayssa Pessoa
Out handball goalkeeper Mayssa Pessoa will represent Brazil in the Rio Olympics.

Tuesday, August 9th

Men’s rowing double schulls semifinals
LGBT athlete to watch: Robbie Manson
Out New Zealand rower Robbie Manson came out to his supportive team on the eve of the London Olympic Games.

Women’s soccer tournament, United States vs. Columbia
LGBT athlete to watch: Megan Rapinoe
Out American midfielder Megan Rapinoe helped America bring home the gold in the London Olympics.

Women’s soccer tournament, New Zealand vs. France
LGBT athlete to watch: Katie Duncan
New Zealand soccer player Katie Duncan is married to former player Priscilla Duncan.

Women’s soccer tournament, Sweden vs. China
LGBT athletes to watch: Lisa Dahlkvist, Nilla Fischer, Hedvig Lindahl, Caroline Seger
Swedish football midfielder Lisa Dahlkvist played her first Olympic match in 2012, but Sweden was defeated by France. Dahlkvist came out in 2008, and has a daughter with her wife Camilla. Star Swedish player Nilla Fischer will play alongside Dahlkvist. Fischer married her wife in 2013. Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl celebrated a quiet wedding with her wife, Sabine, in 2012 with family and teammates. Swedish soccer captain Caroline Seger also came out in 2013 after spending many years of public life in the closet.

Women’s soccer tournament, Australia vs. Zimbabwe
LGBT athlete to watch: Michelle Heyman
Australian soccer player Michelle Heyman made her debut on the national team in 2010, and took part in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Women’s soccer tournament, Canada vs. Germany
LGBT athlete to watch: Stephanie Labbé, Melissa Tancredi
Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé has played for the US team Washington Spirits, but is playing for her native Canada in the Rio Olympics. Canadian player Melissa Tancredi is also out, and helped Canada win a bronze medal at the London Olympics.

Women’s beach volleyball, Brazil vs. United States
LGBT athlete to watch: Larissa França
Brazilian beach volleyball player Larissa França won the bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics, and married fellow beach volleyball player Liliane Maestrini the following year.

Men’s 100m freestyle heats
LGBT athlete to watch: Ari-Pekka Liukkonen
Finnish swimmer Ari-Pekka Liukkonen came out to protest Russia’s anti-LGBT laws on the eve of the Sochi Olympics.

Wednesday, August 10th

Women’s basketball tournament, United States vs. Serbia
LGBT athletes to watch: Elena Delle Donne, Seimone Augustus, Brittney Griner, Angel McCoughtry

Women’s field hockey tournament, Netherlands vs. New Zealand
LGBT athletes to watch: Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel, Maartje Paumen

Women’s field hockey tournament, Great Britain vs. Argentina
LGBT athletes to watch: Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh, Susannah Townsend

Equestrian team and individual dressage
LGBT athletes to watch: Edward Gal, Hans Peter Minderhound, Carl Hester, Spencer Wilton
Dutch dressage rider Edward Gal won the bronze in the 2012 Olympics on his stallion Totilas. They were triple gold medalists at the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Gal is in a long-term relationship with his teammate Hans Peter Midnerhoud.  

British equestrian Carl Hester won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. He’ll compete in Rio with a new horse. Hester is openly gay. British equestrian and former partner of Carl Hester, Spencer Wilson, will also compete in both events.

Women’s handball tournament, France vs. Argentina
LGBT athlete to watch: Alexandra Lacrabère
Out French handball player Alexandra Lacrabère earned a silver medal with her team in the 2011 World Women’s Handball Championship.

Women’s handball tournament, Brazil vs. Spain
LGBT athlete to watch: Mayssa Pessoa

Men’s synchronized 3m springboard diving
LGBT athlete to watch: Ian Matos
Brazilian diver Ian Matos came out despite his fears that his sexuality would harm his chances of sponsorship.

Thursday, August 11th

Women’s beach volleyball, Brazil vs. Poland
LGBT athlete to watch: Larissa França

Women’s field hockey tournament, Great Britain vs. Japan
LGBT athletes to watch: Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh, Susannah Townsend

Friday, August 12th

Men’s 20km walk
LGBT athlete to watch: Tom Bosworth
British race walker Tom Bosworth came out as gay late last year. Bosworth can walk as fast as most competitive runners can run, and is currently ranked #1 in the U.K. for race walking.

Women’s basketball tournament, United States vs. Canada
LGBT athletes to watch: Elena Delle Donne, Seimone Augustus, Brittney Griner, Angel McCoughtry

Women’s handball tournament, France vs. South Korea
LGBT athlete to watch: Alexandra Lacrabère

Women’s handball tournament, Brazil vs. Angola
LGBT athlete to watch: Mayssa Pessoa

Women’s 100m
LGBT athlete to watch: Dutee Chand
Indian runner Dutee Chand was stunned when she was banned from competing in the Commonwealth Games for having levels of testosterone in her blood that were too high. The ruling in Chand’s favor is a major victory for intersex athletes.

Women’s 50m freestyle heats
LGBT athlete to watch: Mélanie Henique
Out French swimmer Mélanie Henique won a bronze medal in the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai.

Men’s 50m freestyle heats
LGBT athlete to watch: Ari-Pekka Liukkonen

Saturday, August 13th

Women’s field hockey tournament, Netherlands vs. Germany
LGBT athletes to watch: Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel, Maartje Paumen

Women’s field hockey tournament, Great Britain vs. United States
LGBT athletes to watch: Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh, Susannah Townsend

Sunday, August 14th

Women’s handball tournament, Brazil vs. Montenegro
LGBT athlete to watch: Mayssa Pessoa

Women’s basketball tournament, United States vs. China
LGBT athletes to watch: Elena Delle Donne, Seimone Augustus, Brittney Griner, Angel McCoughtry

Women’s handball tournament, France vs. Sweden
LGBT athlete to watch: Alexandra Lacrabère