Tuesday 12 July 2016

Olympic Alphabet : S is for ...

SOCCER
[revised 13 July 2016]
 
In the past few months my list of lgbt Olympians has increased to 243, including those expected to make their debut in Rio next month. One statistic has also increased – the sport with the most known lgbt athletes. That sport is football, or soccer. There are 33 lgbt footballers on the current list.
 
Here’s a table of the footballers to date, with the years and medals, including those expected to compete in Rio de Janeiro (selection of some teams have not yet been officially announced).
 
NAME
NATION
OLYMPICS
G
S
B
Angerer, Nadine
Germany
2000 Sydney
 
 
 
2004 Athens
 
 
 
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
Bresonik, Linda
Germany
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
Dahlkvist, Lisa
Sweden
2012 London
 
 
 
2016 Rio de Janeiro
 
 
 
Duncan, Katie (Hoyle)
New Zealand
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
2012 London
 
 
 
2016 Rio de Janeiro
 
 
 
Fischer, Nilla
Sweden
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
2012 London
 
 
 
2016 Rio de Janeiro
 
 
 
Grings, Inka
Germany
2000 Sydney
 
 
 
Haugen, Tone
Norway
1996 Atlanta
 
 
 
Herlovsen, Isabell
Norway
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
Heyman, Michelle
Australia
2016 Rio de Janeiro
 
 
 
Holl, Ursula
Germany
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
Hucles, Angela
USA
2004 Athens
 
 
 
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
Jones, Steffi
Germany
2000 Sydney
 
 
 
2004 Athens
 
 
 
Kai, Natasha
USA
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
Labbé, Stephanie
Canada
2016 Rio de Janeiro
 
 
 
Landström, Jessica
Sweden
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
Levenstad, Malin
Sweden
2012 London
 
 
 
Lindahl, Hedvig
Sweden
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
2012 London
 
 
 
2016 Rio de Janeiro
 
 
 
McLeod, Erin
Canada
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
2012 London
 
 
 
Medalen, Linda
Norway
1996 Atlanta
 
 
 
Modise, Portia
South Africa
2012 London
 
 
 
Nordby, Bente
Norway
1996 Atlanta
 
 
 
2000 Sydney
 
 
 
Rapinoe, Megan
USA
2012 London
 
 
 
2016 Rio de Janeiro
 
 
 
Rogers, Robbie
USA
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
Rønning, Trine
Norway
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
Rouyer, Olivier
France
1976 Montréal
 
 
 
Seger, Caroline
Sweden
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
2012 London
 
 
 
2016 Rio de Janeiro
 
 
 
Stoney, Casey
GB
2012 London
 
 
 
Sundhage, Pia
Sweden
1996 Atlanta
 
 
 
Svensson, Victoria
Sweden
2000 Sydney
 
 
 
2004 Athens
 
 
 
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
Tancredi, Melissa
Canada
2008 Beijing
 
 
 
2012 London
 
 
 
2016 Rio de Janeiro
 
 
 
Videkull, Lena
Sweden
1996 Atlanta
 
 
 
Walsh, Sarah
Australia
2004 Athens
 
 
 
Wambach, Abby
USA
2004 Athens
 
 
 
2012 London
 
 
 
One thing may strike you when you look down the list of years, which is the gap between the first identified footballer (1976) and the next (1996). This is because the first footballer was a man, Olivier Rouyer. Men’s football has always, and still does, have a very homophobic attitude among the management and fans. The abuse received by the first openly gay male professional footballer in the 1990s, Justin Fashanu, has left a dark shadow over men’s football.
 
The next identified footballer at the 1996 Olympics was in the women’s competition. This was the first women’s football tournament at the Olympics and women have been more forthcoming about their sexuality in the sport.
 
Olivier Rouyer is one of only 2 male Olympic footballers to come out, the other being Robbie Rogers. Both came out after their only Olympic appearances. Rogers has become a leading advocate for openly lgbt male footballers.
 
The out female footballers (not necessarily out at the time they competed) come from a wide range of nations. The first two tournaments in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 had an all-European contingent with Norway achieving the best results. Even though they won a bronze in 1996 (with 3 lgbt team members) they won gold in Sydney. Only Bente Nordby played both times.
 
Germany won the bronze in 2000 with 3 lgbt team members, although Nadine Angerer was substitute goalkeeper and didn’t play or receive a medal. Germany won bronze at 3 successive games – 2000, 2004 and 2008.
 
The USA’s women’s team have been Olympic champions since Athens 2004. Their only identified footballer they had before that was alternate player Saskia Webber in Atlanta 1996. The Americans have fielded 5 lgbt footballers in total so far. Sweden, however, has fielded 7 throughout the 5 women’s soccer tournaments to date, the only country to do so. They have yet to win a medal, however. One of the Swedish players, Pia Sundhage, went on to coach the USA’s 2008 and 2012 gold medal-winning teams.
 
With the USA’s gold and Germany’s bronze in Beijing there were 5 lgbt soccer players on the medal podium, the most in the tournament so far.
 
The Beijing and London games each had 6 nations with lgbt footballers. On both occasions the teams won either gold or bronze. The London 2012 bronze medallists were Canada.
 
There has been at least 2 medal winners in any one of the women’s soccer tournament since it was first held. With the current form of Team USA there’s nothing to suppose there won’t be any lgbt medallists at the Rio 2016 tournament also. We shall know soon.

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