A record-breaking number of out LGBTQ+ athletes will compete in the fast-approaching Milan Winter Olympics this year.

The upcoming international multi-sporting event, set to commence on Friday (6 February), will make history with its roster of at least 41 out LGBTQ+ athletesrepresenting 13 countries across nine events.

These include competitors representing the UK, the US, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.

Women’s ice hockey will feature the most amount of LGBTQ+ competitors out of any other event, with at least 22 queer women set to compete. Other events include snowboarding, alpine skating, curling, figure skating, speed skating, and many more.

LGBTQ+ sports media brand Outsports revealed the record-breaking roster as part of its “Team LGBTQ+” campaign, which highlights representation within both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

Representation continues to rise with each event, according to the report. The Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022 saw at least 36 out LGBTQ+ athletes, while the 2018 PyeongChang games saw just 15.

The 2024 Paris Summer Games currently holds the record for most queer athletes in any Olympic event, with 199 members of Team LGBTQ+.

Outsports co-founder, Cyd Zeigler, said the representation on display this year signals a “major shift” in many sporting categories that have historically discriminated against LGBTQ+ competitors.

“These numbers are a testament to the courage of so many athletes, and a reflection of a major shift in acceptance in sports,” Zeigler said. “As we say at Outsports, courage is contagious.”

Trans man becomes first-ever trans competitor in Winter Olympics

This year’s event will also be the first Winter Olympics to feature an out trans athlete, Swedish freestyle skier Elis Lundholm.

Lundholm, a trans man, joined team Sweden following an announcement in January. It will be his first time competing at the Olympics.

The 23-year-old will compete in the women’s freestyle skiing tournament. He has previously had three top-25 finishes in World Cup events for moguls skiing – a form of freestyle skiing that takes place on uneven downhill terrain – according to Outsports.

His participating comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) signalled its intention to ban trans women from competing in all women’s events.

Olympic chiefs began considering a ban after US Olympic and Paralympic Committee passed a trans-exclusive policy in July 2025 to align with an executive order from US president Donald Trump.

Officials claimed the policy would ensure that women’s sports remained “fair and safe” despite there being no concrete evidence that trans-inclusion affects the fairness or safety of the women’s category.

New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first-ever out trans female Olympian after she competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The 2026 Milan Winter Olympics begins on Friday 6 February and ends on 22 February.