5 popular LGBTQ athletes to compete at the Paris Olympics ft. Sha'Carri Richardson, Nikki Hiltz

The 2024 Paris Olympics is poised to be a groundbreaking event with the inclusion of LGBTQ athletes, including Sha'Carri Richardson, Nikki Hiltz, Tom Daley, Alyssa Thomas, and Hannah Roberts. Around 144 LGBTQ athletes are expected to compete at the world's greatest sporting event.

With the inclusion of a significant number of athletes, the Games will feature not just the athletic prowess, but also the commitment to inclusivity and diversity. On that note, let's take a look at 5 popular LGBTQ athletes who will compete at the Paris Olympics

#5 Sha'Carri Richardson will make her debut in the Games at Paris Olympics

Sha'Carri Richardson at the U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Getty Images)

Sha'Carri Richardson will compete in her first Olympics in Paris after missing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to suspension for consumption of prohibited substances.

She proved her prospects for the Games after securing a gold medal in the 100m and the 4x100m relay and a bronze medal in the 200m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. The American sprinter will compete against a fierce lineup that includes Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Melissa Jefferson, and Twanisha Terry in the women's 100m in Paris.

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#4 Breanna Stewart

Breanna Stewart poses during the Team USA Paris 2024 Olympic Portrait Shoot in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Getty Images)

Breanna Stewart will compete in the 2024 Paris Games to vie for her third consecutive Olympic gold medal with the National Basketball team. She contributed to her team's victory to secure a gold medal by defeating the Spanish team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the Japanese team at the Tokyo Games.

For her exceptional performance at the Tokyo Games, she was named the Olympic Tournament's MVP. On July 6, 2021, Stewart exchanged her wedding vows with the retired Spanish basketball player, Marta Xargay, whom she competed against at the 2016 Games.

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#3 Raven Saunders

Raven Saunders reacts after winning the silver medal in the Women's Shot Put Final at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Getty Images)

Raven Saunders will join Sha'Carri Richardson to represent the USA Track and Field team. The thrower clinched the Olympic spot by securing second place in the shot put event at the 2024 Olympic Trials. Saunders recorded a distance of 19.90m to compete in the third Games in Paris.

After securing fifth place in the 2016 Games with 19.35m, Saunders improved the performance with 19.79m in Tokyo to clinch a silver medal. They will be competing alongside Chase Jackson.

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#2 Nikki Hiltz

Nikki Hiltz celebrates after winning the women's 1500m final at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Getty Images)

Along with Sha'Carri Richardson, Nikki Hiltz will compete at the Games for the first time. Hiltz, who identifies as transgender and nonbinary, already holds a national record in women's mile set in 2023 by clocking 4:16.35.

According to "Time", Hiltz's pronouns are they/them. The American middle-distance runner topped the women's 1500m by posting 3:55.33 at the Olympic Trials to punch a ticket for Paris.

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#1 Diana Taurasi

Diana Taurasi will compete in Paris to secure her sixth consecutive gold medal. (Image by Getty)

Diana Taurasi will compete in the Paris Olympics to secure her sixth consecutive Olympic gold medal. Taurasi contributed to her team's victory in the 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Games.

Having won all the Olympic Games she has competed in before and being named an All-Star 10 times, Taurasi has shown her prospects as one of the most valuable players in the team.