The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina have delivered more than athletic drama: they have highlighted a prominent and successful presence of openly LGBTQ competitors. To date, there are 47 athletes who identify publicly as LGBTQ on the roster — a record for the Winter Games — and several of them have already reached the podium. These results have put the collective of out athletes, often tracked informally as Team LGBTQ, near the top of mixed national standings and firmly in the public conversation.
Counting medals won by athletes who are publicly out, Team LGBTQ has claimed a total of five medals so far, including four golds and one bronze. Observers have noted both the sporting achievements and the wider cultural resonance of these moments, as medal celebrations and media comments intersect with ongoing discussions about inclusion and visibility in elite sport. The Games in Italy run through 22 February 2026, giving more opportunities for additional podiums and headlines.
The current medal collection among openly LGBTQ athletes stands at four golds and one bronze. That tally places the grouping highly on unofficial aggregated lists that treat out athletes as a single team — a symbolic exercise that highlights how visibility and performance can combine to change narratives. Outsports, a long-running tracker of out athletes, ranked Team LGBTQ in sixth place by traditional gold-first Olympic ranking methods; other outlets presented slightly different placements depending on counting conventions, but all emphasise the same result: an unusually strong showing.
Who won medals: profiles and notable moments
Figure skating: team triumphs and ice dance drama
American skater Amber Glenn contributed to the United States’ top finish in the figure skating team event, earning a gold medal in the process. Amber, who is the first openly queer woman to represent the United States in Olympic singles figure skating, used her platform in the run-up to the Games to comment on social and political pressures facing LGBTQ people in the United States. Those remarks generated online backlash after they were publicised, and Amber addressed critics after winning, reaffirming her intent to keep speaking about issues that affect her and others.
In ice dance, France’s Guillaume Cizeron successfully defended an Olympic title, standing atop the podium with partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry. The victory came amid public controversy stemming from a memoir by his former partner, who made allegations about their earlier partnership; Cizeron has denied those claims and reportedly responded through legal channels. Meanwhile, Canada’s Paul Poirier and Piper Gilles earned the bronze in ice dance, marking Poirier’s first Olympic medal after multiple Games and drawing attention for a program that included music associated with RuPaul, which many fans described as iconic.
Freestyle and alpine skiing: tight races and personal celebrations
Swiss freeski slopestyle star Mathilde Gremaud retained her Olympic slopestyle title in a razor-close duel with Eileen Gu, delivering a near-flawless run to secure gold. Gremaud has also been open about her relationship with fellow elite athlete Vali Höll, who shared celebratory moments publicly after the win. Gremaud’s performance reinforced her status as a dominant competitor in slopestyle and added a personal, high-profile celebration to the sporting achievement.
On the alpine side, American downhill skier Breezy Johnson captured gold in the women’s downhill, a race that also drew attention due to a serious crash suffered by another star competitor. Breezy’s win was her first Olympic medal; she has previously had long-term relationships with women and is currently publicly partnered with a man, reflecting the diversity of experiences within the LGBTQ athlete community.
Broader context and what to watch next
The athletes identified as out at these Games come from around a dozen countries and include competitors in several disciplines, with a sizeable share participating in women’s ice hockey. Tracking this group as a collective is a symbolic exercise that highlights both sporting excellence and growing visibility. As Milano Cortina progresses through to 22 February 2026, more medal opportunities remain for these athletes and others who are part of the record 47 openly LGBTQ competitors.
Beyond podium statistics, these moments are part of a wider conversation about representation in elite sport: public comments by athletes, on-ice and on-course celebrations, and media coverage all contribute to how the Games are remembered. Whether through a defended title, a first-time Olympic medal, or a headline-making public statement, the early days of Milano Cortina show that openly LGBTQ athletes are shaping both results and narratives at these Winter Olympics.