When you think of the Olympics, you probably think about the grit, determination, and natural talent it takes to compete on a world stage or how much you love watching Snoop Dogg’s Olympics commentary. You probably aren’t thinking about how many lesbian couples are competing together, but you should be because they are adorable!
Every year, there is more and more LGBTQ+ representation in sports, and the Olympics is no different. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, 193 queer athletes are competing, and 12 of those are lesbians who are either married or dating each other. We're always shipping queer athletes in our heads, but these women are actually in love, and we are OBSESSED!
From women who play different sports for different countries to lesbian power couples who are competing on the same team, these athletes play hard and love even harder.
Tobin Heath and Christen Press (Soccer, USA)
U.S. Women's National soccer team members Tobin Heath and Christen Press just admitted publicly — for the first time — that they have actually been dating for eight years. Heath and Press are competing together at the Paris Olympics, hoping to take home a gold for Team USA, but the couple already snagged a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Lea Schüller (Soccer, Germany) and Lara Vadlau (Sailing, Austria)
German soccer star Lea Schüller and her girlfriend, Austrian sports sailor Lara Vadlau, are both competing in Paris this summer. This will be 26-year-old Schüller's first time in the Olympic Games, but 30-year-old Vadlau is an old hand at this. Although she didn't medal, she competed in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Being pro athletes means the pair understand each other, but sadly, they are often apart even though they live together in Munich.
“I find it really helpful because both of us understand what you have to do for your sport, that you’re away a lot and don’t see each other that often. Otherwise it would be really hard,“ Vadlau said in an interview with FC Bayern München.
Anneli Maley and Merna Whittle (3x3 basketball, Australia)
Australian athletes Anneli Maley and Merna Whittle play 3x3 basketball, a fledgling sport that was first added to the Tokyo Olympics. The pair have been together for five years, and in an interview with the Daily Mail, Maley said she's excited she gets to "go to the Olympics with my person."
She also expressed hope that she and Whittle would be an example for your queer athletes. "It's obviously about basketball, but how cool is it that we get to be that example for the younger girls and boys who get to see that representation on an Olympic stage," Maley said, "Some young ones may be afraid to stay something so hopefully seeing us at the Olympics can put them at ease and help in some way."
Charlotte Englebert and Emma Puvrez (Field hockey, Belgium)
This adorable couple plays field hockey for Belgium, and the Paris Olympics is the first time either Charlotte Englebert or Emma Puvrez has ever competed in the games.
Anne Buijs (Volleyball, Netherlands) and Ana Carolina Da Silva (Volleyball, Brazil)
Anne Buijs and Ana Carolina Da Silva have been married since March 2, 2023, despite the fact that they both play volleyball for different countries, which sometimes means they have to play against each other. Both women are competing in the Paris Olympics, with Buijs playing for the Netherlands and Da Silva competing for Brazil.
Ana Carolina Azevedo (Track, Brazil) and Beatriz Ferreira (Boxing, Brazil)
Sprinter Ana Carolina Azevedo and boxer Beatriz Ferreira met at the Tokyo Olympics, where Ferreira took home a silver medal in the Women’s Lightweight events. The two Brazilian athletes started dating in 2021 and now they are both competing in Paris together.