Nearly 850 UK athletes descended on Cologne earlier this month to compete for gold at Gay Games VIII, the world’s largest gay sporting event.
They joined 10,000 competitors from over 70 countries to compete in sports as diverse as body building, ballroom dancing and martial arts.
The week kicked off with 25,000 people at Cologne’s RhineEnergie Stadium for the opening ceremony. Participants were welcomed by the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guido Westerwelle, and Matthew Mitcham, the openly gay Australian diver who won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
London and Brighton-based Out to Swim sent the single largest swimming team to Cologne with nearly 100 athletes. Following six days of competition they dominated the medal table with a total of 102 medals, 39 of them gold. Even more impressively, the team broke four Masters swimming world records and several British and European records.
Despite it being only their second international competition the newly-created Out to Swim Angles took gold in synchronised swimming for the men's Free Routine.
Following a week-long tournament London Orca also took gold in water polo. Their final match against Copenhagen was close, ending with a score of 9 to 6.
The week of competition was topped off with the Pink Flamingo, a Gay Games tradition where swim teams from around the world put on performances which combining outrageous costumes, music, dance and synchronized swimming with humour and satire. Performing to a sold-out crowd Out to Swim took second with a colourful performance themed “Carnival in Cologne”.
Gay Games VIII was held in Cologne from 31 July – 7 August. Every four years the Gay Games welcome athletes from around the world to compete in some 30 sports. Any adult athlete is welcome to take part in the Games, with participants ranging from beginners to Olympic medallists.
While most participants came from the US and western Europe, the list of countries represented will also include Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and Zimbabwe.
A cultural programme at the Gay Games included art exhibitions, concerts, lectures and film screenings.