Gay Games VIII in Cologne managed to register 9,475 participants from 65 countries, according to numbers they released this week. While it's down from the 12,000 they set as a goal several years ago, it's still a solid number in this economy and is on par with 2006 registration numbers in Chicago and Montreal. Some interesting statistics behind the numbers:
- 68% of the participants are male.
- Germany is the most-represented, counting for 31%. The U.S. was second with 23%.
- Some countries with more than one participant that might surprise you: El Salvador, Ghana, Liberia, Peru, Suriname, United Arab Emirates.
- Over 11% of the participants are registered for soccer. 12% will participate in one of the aquatics sports at the pool. Volleyball and tennis were next.
- Most-represented city: London, then Berlin.
