Record Medal Haul at Milan 2026
MILAN – The 2026 Winter Olympics concluded this weekend, marking a historic event for LGBTQ+ visibility in sport. The 49 publicly out athletes competing collectively secured 11 medals, a performance that would have placed the unofficial 'Team LGBTQ+' 13th in the overall national medal standings.
The final tally, reported by Outsports co-founder Cyd Zeigler, includes five gold, two silver, and four bronze medals. This means that 19 of the 49 out athletes—approximately 37%—finished on the podium in their respective events.
The gold medalists for the unofficial 'Team LGBTQ+' include:
- Guillaume Cizeron (France, Figure Skating)
- Hilary Knight (USA, Ice Hockey)
- Breezy Johnson (USA, Alpine Skiing)
- Amber Glenn (USA, Figure Skating)
- Mathilde Gremaud (Switzerland, Freestyle Skiing)
Context and Scale of Achievement
The 'Team LGBTQ+' designation is part of a long-running project by Outsports to track the performance of out athletes at the Games. While not an official team, the group of 49 athletes from 13 countries formed what would have been the 19th largest contingent in Milan.
Their 13th place finish in the medal count is notable when compared to the size of official national teams. For perspective, the United States sent 233 athletes, and Canada sent 210. The high medal rate underscores the significant contribution of out athletes to their national teams' success.
A Historic First for Trans Representation
The Milan Games also saw a significant milestone for transgender visibility in winter sports. Swedish freestyle skier Elis Lundholm became the first openly trans man to compete in a Winter Olympics, participating in the women's freestyle skiing event. He finished 25th in the qualification rounds.
The record number of both participants and medals highlights a continued trend of increasing openness for LGBTQ+ individuals in elite international sports, building on the momentum from previous Olympic Games.
