
Joe Morgan is the editor-at-large at Gay Star News. UK,…
Nine out of the 12 LGBTI athletes competing in the Rio Paralympics won medals.
This is 75%, a massive achievement considering countries like United States, Great Britain and China saw around 20% of their athletes grace the podium.
Team LGBTI won five gold medals, two silvers and three bronze medals.
The rainbow team would have come 27th, beating countries like Ireland, Mexico and Egypt.
Winners include Lee Pearson, for Team GB, who won his 11th Paralympic gold, while couple Jen Armbruster and Asya Miller picked up a bronze in goalball for USA.
American Allison Jones came very close to picking up a medal, coming fourth in the cycling.
Angela Madsen, one of the oldest athletes competing at 56, came eighth in the shotput and seventh in the javelin.
Cindy Ouellet and the Canadian wheelchair basketball team finished fifth.
While 12 is the most out athletes the Paralympics has ever seen, it is still an absurdly low number considering 4,060 people competed across 528 medal events. That’s just 0.29%.
Meet the winners at the Paralympics below:
Gold Medals
Monique Burkland (USA) – Sitting Volleyball
Abby Dunkin and Desiree Miller (USA) – Wheelchair Basketball
Megan Giglia (GB) – Cycling
Lee Pearson (GB) – Equestrian
Silver Medals
Lee Pearson (GB) – Equestrian
Marieke Vervoort (Belgium) – Wheelchair Racing
Bronze Medals
Jen Armbruster and Asya Miller (USA) – Goalball
Moran Samuel (Israel) – Rowing
Over a third of all out athletes at the Rio Olympics won medals. Found out who won what here.