Sports
Put Greg Louganis on the Wheaties box
Petition seeks coveted status for all-time great diver
General Mills previously stated that Greg Louganis did not meet their ‘wholesome demographics.’ (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Called by Swimming World Magazine the greatest diver of all time, Greg Louganis returned to the sport as a mentor for USA Diving before the 2012 London Olympics after a 20-year absence from the sport.
Last year, “Back on Board: Greg Louganis,” was released chronicling Louganis’s rise to the top and the past three years of his life. After watching the documentary, a fan, Julie Sondgerath, launched a Change.org petition to put Louganis on the cover of a Wheaties box. In the documentary, it was noted that he never landed the coveted cover.
The petition has been gaining steam and has exceeded 30,000 signatures. After winning silver in platform diving in 1976 and enduring the 1980 Olympic boycott, Louganis continued on to win double gold at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.
In 1984, Carl Lewis (Track & Field), Mary Lou Retton (Gymnastics) and Leslie Deniz (Track & Field) all landed the cover of a Wheaties box and in 1988, no Olympians made the cover. At the time, General Mills stated that Louganis did not meet their “wholesome demographics.” It should also be noted that Louganis was only out to friends and family in 1988.
Sondgerath is hoping that the campaign will reach 50,000 signatures, which will then be presented to General Mills in hopes that Louganis finally reaches one of the few accomplishments that eluded him. Several other athletes, such as Muhammad Ali, received a Wheaties cover box years after their athletic success.
You can sign the petition here.
More than a dozen LGBTQ athletes won medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics that ended on Sunday.
Cayla Barnes, Hilary Knight, and Alex Carpenter are LGBTQ members of the U.S. women’s hockey team that won a gold medal after they defeated Canada in overtime. Knight the day before the Feb. 19 match proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
French ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron, who is gay, and his partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry won gold. American alpine skier Breezy Johnson, who is bisexual, won gold in the women’s downhill. Amber Glenn, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, was part of the American figure skating team that won gold in the team event.
Swiss freestyle skier Mathilde Gremaud, who is in a relationship with Vali Höll, an Austrian mountain biker, won gold in women’s freeski slopestyle.
Bruce Mouat, who is the captain of the British curling team that won a silver medal, is gay. Six members of the Canadian women’s hockey team — Emily Clark, Erin Ambrose, Emerance Maschmeyer, Brianne Jenner, Laura Stacey, and Marie-Philip Poulin — that won silver are LGBTQ.
Swedish freestyle skier Sandra Naeslund, who is a lesbian, won a bronze medal in ski cross.
Belgian speed skater Tineke den Dulk, who is bisexual, was part of her country’s mixed 2000-meter relay that won bronze. Canadian ice dancer Paul Poirier, who is gay, and his partner, Piper Gilles, won bronze.
Laura Zimmermann, who is queer, is a member of the Swiss women’s hockey team that won bronze when they defeated Sweden.
Outsports.com notes all of the LGBTQ Olympians who competed at the games and who medaled.
Sports
US wins Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey
Team captain Hilary Knight proposed to girlfriend on Wednesday
The U.S. women’s hockey team on Thursday won a gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime. The game took place a day after Team USA captain Hilary Knight proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
Cayla Barnes and Alex Carpenter — Knight’s teammates — are also LGBTQ. They are among the more than 40 openly LGBTQ athletes who are competing in the games.
The Olympics will end on Sunday.
Sports
Attitude! French ice dancers nail ‘Vogue’ routine
Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry strike a pose in memorable Olympics performance
Madonna’s presence is being felt at the Olympic Games in Italy.
Guillaume Cizeron and his rhythm ice dancing partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry of France performed a flawless skate to Madonna’s “Vogue” and “Rescue Me” on Monday.
The duo scored an impressive 90.18 for their effort, the best score of the night.
“We’ve been working hard the whole season to get over 90, so it was nice to see the score on the screen,” Fournier Beaudry told Olympics.com. “But first of all, just coming out off the ice, we were very happy about what we delivered and the pleasure we had out there. With the energy of the crowd, it was really amazing.”
Watch the routine on YouTube here.
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