The West Hollywood Aquatics Team (WH2O) took the 3rd place medal at the International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) London 2023 LGBTQ+ Championships this summer.
“Big congratulations to the USA clubs that medaled at the IGLA London 2023 LGBTQ+ Championships that were held earlier this summer in London,” reads a post on the USA Water Polo website. “#IGLA2023 🌈 Comp Division: 1st – San Francisco Tsunami 2nd – West Hollywood Aquatics 3rd – Washington DSeahorses Comp Rec Division: 2nd – Washington DSeahorses 3rd – Denver Squid Rec Division: 2nd – Boston Wetsox”
The IGLA LGBTQ+ aquatics championships headed to the UK for the first time this past June. The games took over the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for a week of entertainment, community and sporting moments. Participants from across the world joined the competition the week of June 25 – 30. They competed in 6 masters aquatics disciplines.
The West Hollywood Aquatics is a friendly and inclusive Masters Club based in West Hollywood. WH2O is home to over 300 athletes from Southern California, ranging from ex-Olympians to beginners. Everyone is welcome, regardless of their skill level, gender, race, sexual orientation, or disability.
The Club was born from a group of passionate swimmers training for the inaugural Gay Games in 1982. After returning from the Gay Games, these swimmers started the West Hollywood Swim Club. This Swim Club is also proud to be one of the founding members of International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA). Teammate Lis Bartlett directed an award-winning documentary about our team’s history, Light in the Water (2018). You can also watch it on Youtube free of charge.
WH2O has since grown to include Water Polo and Ocean (Open Water), sanctioned by United States Masters Swimming (USMS) and USA Water Polo (USAWP). Swimmers are members of Southern Pacific Masters Swimming (SPMS), a part of the Southwest Zone of USMS. Our water polo players are members of USAWP’s Zone 11, Coastal California Water Polo.
Members across all 3 disciplines compete in events, meets, and tournaments at the Regional, National, and International levels. They offer professionally coached daily workouts and seasonal clinics to support our members in achieving their goals, both in and out of the water.
For more information, visit: West Hollywood Aquatics Home (wh2o.org)
