The Gay Games are now over and we’re rolling in names and data on all the winners.
The international event was held in Paris this year and hosted hundreds of participants from several countries around the globe. This includes The United States of America, South Africa, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan (which was unfortunately referred to as Taipei), Russia, and more.
But which American athletes came home with medals around their necks? While we’re still collecting all the info, we have gathered enough to share some of it below.
First, Florida native Chris Manning came home with a silver medal along with the rest of his basketball team
As he told the South Florida Gay News, it was “bittersweet leaving.”
“This was a lot of fun and growth as a man,” he added.
Next, Christie Queen won a gold medal for individual women’s golf and a silver medal in team play. She was the only U.S. woman to win an individual medal in golf. That said, she ironically had the lowest combined score for all women, according to Palm Springs’s CBS Local 2.
Then, the synchronized swimming team called the Subversive Sirens won the gold for their sport.
Nicki McCraken, who’s a team member from North Dakota, also shared how delighted she was to have gone to the Gay Games.
"It was fun to walk out for the opening ceremonies with other athletes from the state," McCracken told Inform. "There were a lot of soccer players and bowlers and a few other sports. We had matching shirts with a Minnesota state icon. All the U.S. teams marched in together, and there was a good feeling of solidarity.”
Another Florida resident named John Ring, who competed for Ireland but lives in Fort Lauderdale, won the bronze medal in cycling. Right behind him was Stephan Smith, from Alaska, who won silver for the men’s 50-54 cycling time trial.
Speaking of Alaska, an Alaskan women’s hockey team, called the Alaskan Ice, won the gold medal in their criterion, according to Anchorage Daily News.
Meanwhile, Darl Schaaff, who’s also from Alaska, took home four medals for martial arts including gold in self-defense. He then claimed a silver medal and two bronzes for other events. In addition, Alaskan Trevor Storrs won bronze in the men’s 45-49 triathlon.
Lastly, as the Bay Area Reporter shares:
“Athletes from the San Francisco Bay Area had solid success in aquatics. SF Tsunami [a swimming team/club] swept the medals in synchronized swimming pairs in the 30-39 age group and took gold and silver in the 50-59 pairs; and Derek Douglas of Stanford Diving Club swept the golds in his 55-59 age group. Cristina Estrada-Pozzi of SF Tsunami swimming won five golds in butterfly sprints and freestyle distance races in her age group; Duke Dahlin and Kristian Nergaard dominated the over-70 crowd in men's freestyle and individual medley; and Bart McDermott, swimming in the 60-64 age group, swept the golds in the 50-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle.”
Again, these are just some of the many U.S. athletes who brought home medals from this year's Gay Games. In addition, they are only a fraction of the athletes who won medals overall. More information with names and achievements is sure to arrive and an update/follow-up post may come in the future.
Still, it's never a better time to celebrate LGTBQ athletes. Congratulations to all of the medal winners (including those in other countries)! Now, we look forward to the next Gay Games in Hong Kong!
h/t: the South Florida Gay News, CBS Local 2, Inform, Anchorage Daily News, The Bay Area Reporter
