Publicly out LGBT athletes at the Paralympics in Rio are already continuing the winning tradition of the out Olympians weeks before them, bringing home lots of medals.
All told, 10 of the 12 publicly out athletes we know about won a medal, with Lee Pearson and Marieke Vervoort bringing home two medals each. That’s 83% of the dozen out athletes! Half of the dozen gay, lesbian and bisexual athletes we know about in this year’s Paralympics are on women’s teams from the United States, which did very well.
Here are your out medal winners:
GOLD
Abby Dunkin, Desiree Miller, Cindy Ouellet
USA, women's wheelchair basketball
The U.S. team beat Germany, 62-45, in the gold-medal match
Lee Pearson
Great Britain, Equestrian
Won gold in the individual freestyle test
Monique Burkland
USA, women's sitting volleyball
Beat China, 3-0, to win gold
Megan Giglia
Great Britain, cycling
Won Great Britain's first gold of these Paralympics
SILVER
Lee Pearson
Great Britain, equestrian
Equestrian individual championship test
Marieke Vervoort
Belgium, wheelchair racing
Took the silver in the women's 400-meter.
BRONZE
Jen Armbruster and Asya Miller
USA, goalball
Beat Brazil, 3-2, in the bronze-medal match
Marieke Vervoort
Belgium, wheelchair racing
Women's 100-meter
Moran Samuel
Israel, rowing
Won bronze in women's single sculls
In addition, out USA women's wheelchair basketball coaches Stephanie Wheeler and Amy Spangler won gold.
