7 women compete as out and proud Olympians

In spite of Russia’s stringent anti-gay “propaganda” laws in full force, there are a handful of openly gay athletes competing in this year’s Winter Olympics.

There are only seven openly gay athletes—all of them are women, but none of them represent the United States. Statistics suggest that since there are 6,000 total athletes from 85 countries, there are no doubt many more gay and lesbians participating. They just haven’t announced their sexuality publicly.

Of the out athletes, some are former Olympic medalists, some are first-timers, but all of them came to Sochi to win.

Anastasia Bucsis
Canadian speed skater
Bucsis is a 24-year-old speed skater from Canada who made her first appearance on the Canadian national team at the 2010 Vancouver Games. She came out publicly in September 2013 at the Calgary’s Gay Pride Parade. Bucsis said she will not protest against the Russian anti-gay laws but rather, focusing on winning her event. She has been skating since the age of 4 and has a personal best of 37.91 in the Ladies’ 500m.

Barbara Jezeršek
Slovenian cross country skier
Jezeršek is a 27-year-old cross-country skier from Slovenia, who made her debut appearance in cross-country skiing in 2006 at the World Cup for Slovenia. She also competed at the 2010 Vancouver Games in 4x5km Relay among other events. Jezeršek is coached by Marko Gracer.

Belle Brockhoff
Australian snowboarder
Brockhoff is a 21-year-old snowboarder from Australia, who made her debut appearance at the 2014 Sochi Games. She was one of the first LGBT Olympians to condemn the Russian anti-gay laws in August 2013, during an interview with Australia ABC TV. Brockhoff says she plans to protest by doing a six-finger salute every time a camera is on her, to represent the Olympic Charter’s Principle Six that calls for anti-discrimination. Brockhoff has been one of the most vocal Olympians about the issue of Russia’s anti-gay policies.

Cheryl Maas
Dutch snowboarder
Maas is a 29-year-old snowboarder from the Netherlands, who made an appearance before at the 2006 Torino Games. She was the first woman to perform a backside 900. Maas is married to former Norwegian snowboarder Stine Brun Kjeldaas and they have a daughter. Maas has said in interviews that the IOC is not being progressive by allowing the laws to uphold in Sochi during the Olympics or in Russia’s overall attitude toward the LGBT community.

Daniela Iraschko-Stolz
Austrian ski jumper
Iraschko-Stolz is a 30-year-old ski jumper from Austria, who is making her debut at the 2014 Sochi Games and will also be included in the first group of women allowed to compete in the ski jump event. She married her partner last year and took her surname. She says protests against Russia’s law banning homosexual “propaganda” aimed at minors aren’t worth it because “no one cares.”

Ireen Wüst
Dutch speed skater
Wüst is a 27-year-old bisexual speed skater from the Netherlands, who won Gold in the 3,000m speed skate at the Sochi Olympics, becoming the first out athlete to medal. She made previous appearances at the 2006 Torino Games and 2010 Vancouver Games. Wüst came out in an interview in October 2009 and later mentioned her girlfriend was fellow speed skater Sanne van Kerkhof; the two later split. She was the first Dutch woman to be an Olympic, world and European champion in 2008, and she was also the youngest Dutch Olympic champion at the age of 19.

Sanne van Kerkhof
Dutch short track speed skater
Van Kerkhof is a 26-year-old speed skater from the Netherlands, who has made a previous appearance at the 2010 Vancouver Games. She previously dated Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst in 2009 but the couple has since broken up. She has a younger sister, Yara van Kerkhof, who is also a short track speed skater.

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