Sports
Speedskater Irene Wüst becomes first LGBTQ Olympian to win a gold medal in Beijing
Dutch athlete is first Olympian to win an individual gold medal in 5 Winter Games and first out medalist in Beijing
If the 34 out LGBTQ Olympians had their own team at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, then Irene Wüst of the Netherlands would be its de facto leader. The Dutch athlete skated her way into the history books Monday with a record-setting finish in the 1,500-meter speedskating race: 1 minute 53.28 seconds, barely edging out the previous world record holder, Miho Takagi of Japan, by less than half a second.
Wüst, who is out as bisexual, is the first LGBTQ Olympian to win a gold medal in Beijing and the most decorated out Olympian ever.
Also, at 35, she is the world’s oldest gold medalist speedskater, the first Olympic athlete to win an individual gold medal in five Winter Games, and this sixth gold makes her the most decorated Olympic speedskater in history.
OLYMPIC CHAMPION!!! 🥇🧡🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/i7Z66o6B8g
— Ireen Wüst (@Ireenw) February 7, 2022
“This is just amazing,” Wüst told Reuters. “There’s a lot of different emotions going through my mind right now. I mean, it’s just bizarre that I was able to pull it off once again… I just have no words for it. There’s something magical that gets to me when it comes down to the Games. There’s something at the Games that brings out the best in me.”
This trip to China is her sixth Olympics, a journey that began when she won gold in the 3,000 meters and bronze in the 1,500 meters events in Turin in 2006.
“The first time is the easiest one to win,” Wüst told The New York Times. “Winning for the fifth time is the hardest.”
She’s now collected 12 medals in all, six of them gold, including those won in Vancouver in 2010, Sochi in 2014 and Pyeongchang in 2018.
“Words can’t describe her class. I mean, she’s the greatest of all time as her performance shows,” out American Olympian Brittany Bowe told Reuters. Bowe was the only out LGBTQ athlete to be selected by any nation as a flag bearer for the opening ceremonies. “Another Olympic gold medal in Olympic record fashion. I’m honored to have competed against her for so many years and even more so to call her a friend.” Bowe finished 10th.
Wüst told The Times she felt calm and had confidence after qualifying at home in the Netherlands, the world’s top speedskating nation. She said that feeling stayed with her through this week.
“When it’s really important, I can show something extra,” said Wüst. “And that’s the feeling I had when I woke up.”
With the victory over Miho Takagi of Japan, who took silver, she has surpassed the record held by famous Olympians Michael Phelps, Carl Lewis and Al Oerter.
Making history “means a lot,” Wüst told reporters after the race, but reality hadn’t quite set in yet. “Ask me this question again in 10 days,” she joked. “I’m an emotional mess in my head.”
The Olympian did confirm speculation she plans to retire after this season. Come summer, after many delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wüst is engaged to marry her girlfriend, Letitia de Jong.
What’s next? Based on what she told The Times, she’s no longer focused on the time clock on the oval, but the biological clock.
“I always say age is just a number,” she said. “But I’m 35, and I really want to have children, so at some point you have to quit.”
Sports
‘Heated Rivalry’ stars to participate in Olympic torch relay
Games to take place next month in Italy
“Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will participate in the Olympic torch relay ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics that will take place next month in Italy.
HBO Max, which distributes “Heated Rivalry” in the U.S., made the announcement on Thursday in a press release.
The games will take place in Milan and Cortina from Feb. 6-22. The HBO Max announcement did not specifically say when Williams and Storrie will participate in the torch relay.
The Washington Capitals will host Pride Night on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they host the Florida Panthers at Capital One Arena. A special ticket offer featuring a Pride-themed Capitals rainbow jersey is available at washcaps.com.
Fans are invited to a pre-game Block Party at District E beginning at 5 p.m. The event will feature a performance by the band NovaKane. Specialty happy hour food and beverages will be available, as well as giveaways. There will also be a presence by several local LGBTQ+ community organizations.
Egypt
Iran, Egypt object to playing in Seattle World Cup ‘Pride Match’
Game to take place on June 26
Iran and Egypt have objected to playing in a “Pride Match” that will take place in Seattle during the 2026 World Cup.
The Egyptian Football Association on Tuesday said it told FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström in a letter that “it categorically rejects holding any activities related to supporting (homosexuality) during the match between the Egyptian national team and Iran, scheduled to be held in Seattle, USA, on June 26, 2026, in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran President Mehdi Taj told ISNA, a semi-official Iranian news agency that both his country and Egypt “protested this issue.”
The 2026 World Cup will take place in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The draw took place at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 5.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death.
The State Department’s 2023 human rights report notes that while Egyptian law “did not explicitly criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, authorities regularly arrested and prosecuted LGBTQI+ persons on charges including ‘debauchery,’ prostitution, and ‘violating family values.’” Egyptian authorities “also reportedly prosecuted LGBTQI+ individuals for ‘misuse of social media.’”
“This resulted in de facto criminalization of same-sex conduct and identity,” notes the report.
The 2024 human rights report the State Department released earlier this year did not include LGBTQ-specific references.
Soccer has ‘unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs’
The June 26 match between Iran and Egypt coincides with Seattle Pride. The Washington Post reported the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee decided to hold the “Pride Match” before last week’s draw.
“As the Local Organizing Committee, SeattleFWC26’s role is to prepare our city to host the matches and manage the city experience outside of Seattle Stadium,” said SeattleFWC26 Vice President of Communications Hana Tadesse in a statement the committee sent to the Washington Blade on Wednesday. “SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament, partnering with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, and business owners to elevate existing Pride celebrations across Washington.”
“Football has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs,” added Tadeese. “The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and rich communities representing all nations we’re hosting in Seattle. We’re committed to ensuring all residents and visitors experience the warmth, respect, and dignity that defines our region.”
The 2034 World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia.
Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in the country. The 2022 World Cup took place in neighboring Qatar, despite concerns over the country’s anti-LGBTQ rights record.
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El 2026 bajo presión
