15 Olympians to root for in Sochi

7 LBGT athletes are out and proud, ski jumping opens to women, and Dominica makes its winter debut

Published February 7, 2014 6:09PM (EST)

Friday, Feb. 7, brings the Opening Day of the 22nd Winter Olympics in Sochi. While there are many non-sports-related reasons the world will watch this year -- from political controversy to bizarre scenes on the ground -- the Olympics are also an opportunity to get familiar with athletes Americans don't necessarily see on TV every day. Out of the around 2,000 athletes competing in 98 events across 15 sports, here are 15 athletes looking to break new ground:

[slide_show id=13594122]


By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

MORE FROM Prachi Gupta

By Sarah Gray

Sarah Gray is an assistant editor at Salon, focusing on innovation. Follow @sarahhhgray or email sgray@salon.com.

MORE FROM Sarah Gray