Paris Olympics set record for number of openly LGBTQ+ athletes, but some say progress isn't finished

Paris Olympics set record for number of openly LGBTQ+ athletes, but some say progress isn't finished

When Charline Van Snick flirted with another female athlete after winning the bronze medal in Judo in the 2012 London Olympic Games, she said her coach told her she needed to stay in the closet for the future of her career.

“It was a moment when I didn't feel like myself,” the 33-year-old retired Belgian Olympian said. “He said, Charline, you have to fit in the box. Everyone is looking at you and you have to be straight. ... I understood that it's not a place to be yourself, it's not a place to be LGBTQ+."

While the Olympic Games have made giant strides in the years since — the Paris 2024 Olympics set a record for the most athletes who are openly LGBTQ+ — advocates and athletes say international athletics have a long way to go in opening up to the queer community.

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