Home from València: Spectres Australia's Gay Games XII, in the record books
Our athletes are home, the medals have been unpacked, and the adrenaline has finally worn off – but the memories from Gay Games XII in València haven't. A couple of weeks on from our return, it felt like the right time to properly reflect on what our biggest-ever delegation achieved on the world stage.
Spectres Australia sent five teams and 42 athletes to València this year, our largest contingent to any Gay Games, and they represented the club, and the country, brilliantly.
The results
Between them, our teams brought home four medals:
Gold: Boomers, All Gender Division C
Bronze: Open Division
Bronze: 35+ Division
Bronze: Women's Division B
Four podiums from five teams is a remarkable strike rate for any club, at any Games. But for a lot of our athletes, the medals were only ever part of the story.
A first for Australian women's basketball
One of the milestones we're proudest of from this campaign is Spectres fielding what we believe is the first Australian women's basketball team to compete at a Gay Games – a combined roster with French club Caram'elles06, which went on to win Bronze in Women's Division B.
For squad member Barb, the moment carried a weight beyond the scoreboard:
"Competing at the Gay Games is like a dream come true. We had the first Australian women's team to ever play basketball at a Gay Games — that's huge. These Games matter because they're about community, support and presence. It's a safe space to play the game we love, with people who might not always get that chance elsewhere. A group of like-minded, competitive people who are also just here to have fun."
More than a scoreline
Ask any of our athletes what they'll remember most, and most won't lead with the results. James, who travelled with the delegation, put it simply:
"For me, Spectres Australia is a community of people you can immediately become friends with and connect over playing sport and basketball. The Gay Games have been phenomenal – I've met so many people, from all these different cultures. I'd highly recommend people join Spectres Australia — both for the fun of the sport but also for the Gay Games in Perth!"
That sense of connection between teammates, opponents, and the wider LGBTQIA+ sporting community coming together in one city is what keeps so many of our members coming back to Spectres year after year, Games or no Games.
Passing the torch to Perth
València's closing ceremony carried an extra bit of significance for us: the official flag handover to Perth, which will host Gay Games XIII in March 2030 – the first time the Games have returned to Australian soil since Sydney 2002.
For a club celebrating its 25th year in 2026, having a home Games on the horizon feels like perfect timing. We can't wait to see what our community builds between now and then.
Thank you
To every athlete who pulled on the green and gold in València, to the coaches, volunteers and supporters who got them there, and to everyone back home who cheered us on – thank you. This result belongs to the whole Spectres community.
If watching this campaign has you thinking about lacing up yourself, there's no better time to get involved. Find your local club and join us ahead of the road to Perth 2030.
