Nearly 50 publicly out LGBTQ+ athletes competed at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics — and a record number of them left with medals. Their performances, across ice hockey, freestyle skiing, figure skating and alpine events, changed podium lineups and broadened the story of who belongs at the top of winter sport.
Medals, milestones and momentum Out of roughly 49 publicly out Olympians, 19 brought home medals — the largest Winter Games medal total for openly LGBTQ+ athletes to date. These podium finishes came from a mix of team and individual events and spanned many nations, including the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
Standout results included: – Team USA’s women’s ice hockey squad, led by captain Hilary Knight with teammates Cayla Barnes and Alex Carpenter, clinched gold in an overtime victory against Canada. The win showcased leadership and high-level play from queer-identifying players on one of the sport’s biggest stages. – Alpine skier Breezy Johnson, who identifies as bisexual, captured gold in the women’s downhill, improving on her 2018 result. – Figure skater Amber Glenn, who identifies as pansexual, earned gold as part of the U.S. team event — the first openly queer woman named to that U.S. team event — and later delivered a powerful comeback in the individual competition. – Swiss freestyle skier Mathilde Gremaud took slopestyle gold. – French ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron and partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry won gold; Canadians Paul Poirier and Piper Gilles added bronze in ice dance. – Great Britain’s Bruce Mouat produced a near-perfect curling shot in the semifinal to swing momentum and secure his team’s place in the Olympic final.
Defining moments and comeback stories Several medal moments were as dramatic emotionally as they were technically precise. Bruce Mouat’s decisive shot in the seventh end against Switzerland cleared opposing stones and positioned his own perfectly — the turning point that sealed an 8–5 win and a spot in the final. The moment resonated beyond the scoreboard: Mouat, who has spoken publicly about coming out, received wide support from fans and teammates and was praised for how he represents the sport.
Amber Glenn’s competition arc became one of the Games’ most human stories. After placing 13th in the short program on Feb. 19, she returned for the free skate and produced a near-flawless performance, posting a 147.52 — the third-best free-skate score of the event — and finishing fifth Glenn had already helped the U.S. to team-event gold and was visibly active in promoting LGBTQ+ visibility in the arena, sharing Pride pins and offering support to teammates.
Team depth and national spreads Openly out athletes contributed to team medal finishes as well. Canada’s women’s ice hockey team, featuring players such as Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, Emerance Maschmeyer, Emily Clark, Erin Ambrose, Brianne Jenner and Daryl Watts, took silver; Switzerland’s Laura Zimmermann earned a bronze in ice hockey. Across disciplines, officials and team delegations verified results and confirmed publicly disclosed athlete identifications.
What this means beyond medals These Games made clear that representation matters on multiple levels. For teammates, young fans and aspiring athletes, seeing openly LGBTQ+ competitors stand on podiums — and perform under pressure — sends a powerful message about belonging and possibility. Medal counts and memorable plays add weight to a broader cultural shift: sports organizations will likely face renewed calls to strengthen inclusion policies, improve athlete welfare and combat discrimination.
Looking ahead National federations and athlete groups have issued statements praising openness and promising follow-up measures. Teams are conducting internal reviews and preparing formal communications; athletes and officials continue to give interviews and release verified statements. Coverage will proceed as those confirmations arrive, but the takeaway is already visible: Milano Cortina marked a turning point for LGBTQ+ visibility in winter sport, one measured in both medals and moments that mattered.