Participants Score Record # of Medals
Team Chicago athletes did extremely well in the Gay Games, bringing home 61 medals from Sydney. The medal count divided by the number of participants was more than 50%–the best performance for Team Chicago at any Gay Games
Team Chicago sent more than 100 people from the Chicago area (and several others from elsewhere in Illinois) to Gay Games VI in Sydney. The participants got together for a welcome party at the host hotel, the Travelodge, and marched together to Aussie Stadium down Flinders Street, carrying the City of Chicago flag given to Team Chicago by Mayor Harold Washington in 1990.
Team Chicago also excelled in another way. They distributed more than $5,000 in sponsorships to athletes who would not otherwise have been able to attend Gay Games VI. Two women were awarded travel packages valued at more than $2,000 that included airfare to Sydney and a week’s hotel stay in Sydney. Two men were awarded $500 cash.
Team Chicago’s 3rd Annual Midwest GLBT Sports and Cultural Festival will take place June 14-July 6. It will include an Opening Party, sporting events, and cultural events sponsored by a variety of organizations. Last year more than 1,500 persons participated in the Festival. To learn more about the ways in which individuals can participate, see: www.teamchicago.org/midwestglbtfest
The Federation of Gay Games also has selected Chicago as the site of its Annual Meeting. Delegates will attend from more than 25 countries around the world to focus on the accomplishments of Gay Games VI and plan for Gay Games VII in Montreal, which will be held in 2006.
Details will become available soon at: www.teamchicago.org/federationmeeting.
The medal count follows for Team Chicago folks at the Gay Games.
Cycling
Gary Medler &endash; Gold: 12 lap Criterium 10.2 kms, M50-54; Silver: Individual Time Trials, M50-54
Bronze: 10 lap Road Race 25 kms, M50-54
Jefferson McCaffrey &endash; Silver, Mountain Bike Cross Country, M30-34
Figure Skating
Victoria Stagg Elliott &endash; Gold: Solo Spotlight &endash; Women’s Alpha Spotlight
Silver: 1500 Metre Freestyle
Marathon
Roger Bashore &endash; Gold: 10K, M35-39
Derek Moore &endash; Bronze: 10K, M45-49
Jim Nelson &endash; Silver: Half Marathon, M45-49
Ian Griffin &endash; Gold: Marathon, M45-49
Paul Oostenbrug &endash; Gold: Marathon, M50-54
Dorothy Tanner &endash; Gold: Marathon, F60-64
Powerlifting
Diane Van Der Kooy – Silver: Women’s Powerlifting (167.5)
Sailing
Chicago Corinthians – Silver: Non-Spinnaker Division (Jim O’Brien and William Gibson)
Softball
Team Destiny – Silver: Women’s Slow Pitch Softball (18 players, 1 coach, and 1 manager) (20 medals)
Bob Heidrich – Gold: Mixed Division (as a player on Team Virginia Patriots)
Swimming
John Murphy – Bronze: 200 Metre Breastroke
Julie Doetsch – Bronze: Women 40-44 50 LC Metre Freestyle)
Silver: Women 40-44 100 LC Metre Freestyle
Mark Spratt, Gold: 400 Metre (4X100) Freestyle Relay (Swam w/DSST),
Gay Games Record 4:07.29
Gold: 800 Metre (4X200) Freestyle Relay (Swam w/DSST),
Gay Games Record 9:33.79
Silver: 400 Metre (4X100) Medley Relay (Swam w/DSST), 4:56.36
Silver: 200 Metre (4X50)Freestyle Relay (Swam w/DSST), 1:52.34
Silver: 400 Metre Freestyle, 4:56.44
Silver: 800 Metre Freestyle, 10:14.79
Silver: 1500 Metre Freestyle, 19:36.46
Victoria Stagg Elliott &endash; Silver: 1500 meter swim
Track and Field
John Lewis &endash; Gold: Decathlon, M60
Gold: Javelin Throw, M45+
(John’s throw was longer than the other 20 participants’)
Gold: Shot Put, M45+
Gold: 4 x 400 Metre Relay, M60 team
Gold: Mixed Medley Relay, 50+ (100 metre)
Dorothy Tanner &endash; Gold: 5000 Metre, W60
Gold: 4 x 200 Metre Relay, W19-29 team
Gold: Mixed Medley Relay, 50+ (200 metre)
Peg Grey &endash; Gold: 5000 Metre, W55-59
Gold: Mixed Medley Relay, 50+ (100 metre)
Daniel Cress; Bronze: 400 Metre, M30-34
Lou Hemmerich; Sliver: Shot Put, M60
Paul Oostenbrug; Gold: Mixed Medley Relay, 50+ (400 metre)