44 Out LGBT Athletes to Compete in Rio Olympics

Four years ago, 23 out-and-proud athletes competed in the London Olympics. This time around, there are nearly double.

A record 44 LGBT athletes are set to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil. They hail from countries across the globe, including Finland, New Zealand and Brazil, according to OutSports.

The U.S. is sending seven out LGBT competitors — all women. Seimone Augustus, Brittney Griner, Angel McCoughtry and Elena Delle Donne are the out basketball athletes, with Kelly Griffin and Jillion Potter representing rugby. Ashley Nee (a kayak whitewater slalom athlete) and Megan Rapinoe (a soccer athlete) are also LGBT participants. Rapine’s coach, Jill Ellis, is also a lesbian.

No openly LGBT male athletes will represent the U.S. OutSports claims there is one closeted gay male athlete competing, and notes that more players could come out as time goes on.

Only 11 of the 44 athletes competing in Rio are males. There are 31 females and two intersex athletes.

There are no openly transgender athletes competing this year.

Check out the full list of openly LGBT athletes below, courtesy of OutSports. Names with a # were added after the original list on July 11.

Nicola Adams (Great Britain, boxing)
Seimone Augustus (USA, basketball)
Tom Bosworth (Great Britain, race walk)
Dutee Chand (India, track & field)
Tom Daley (Great Britain, diving)
Elena Delle Donne (USA, basketball)
Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel (Netherlands, field hockey)
Lisa Dahlkvist (Sweden, soccer)
Katie Duncan (New Zealand, soccer)
Nilla Fisher (Sweden, soccer)
Amini Fonua # (Tonga, swimming)
Larissa França (Brazil, beach volleyball)
Edward Gal (Netherlands, equestrian)
Kelly Griffin # (USA, rugby)
Brittney Griner (USA, basketball)
Carl Hester (Great Britain, equestrian)
Michelle Heyman (Australia, soccer)
Mélanie Henique # (France, swimming)
Stephanie Labbe # (Canada, soccer)
Alexandra Lacrabère # (France, handball)
Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden, soccer)
Ari-Pekka Liukkonen (Finland, swimming)
Robbie Manson (New Zealand, rowing)
Hans Peter Minderhoud (Netherlands, equestrian)
Ian Matos (Brazil, diving)
Angel McCoughtry (USA, basketball)
Nadine Müller # (Germany, discus)
Marie-Eve Nault (Canada, soccer)
Ashley Nee # (USA, kayak whitewater slalom)
Maartje Paumen (Netherlands, field hockey)
Mayssa Pessoa (Brazil, handball)
Jillion Potter # (USA, rugby)
Megan Rapinoe (USA, soccer)
Helen Richardson-Walsh (Great Britain, field hockey)
Kate Richardson-Walsh (Great Britain, field hockey)
Carolina Seger # (Sweden, soccer)
Caster Semenya (South Africa, track & field)
Martina Strut # (Germany, pole vault)
Melissa Tancredi # (Canada, soccer)
Susannah Townsend # (Great Britian, field hockey)
Sunette Stella Viljoen # (South Africa, javelin)
Julia Vasconcelos # (Brazil, taekowndo). Julia confirmed to Claudia Custodio (@Cau__ on Twitter) with ESPN Brazil that she is a lesbian.
Jeffrey Wammes # (Netherlands, gymnastics)
Spencer Wilton # (Great Britain, equestrian)