GayCities Europe editor Paul Brummitt is at the GayGames in Cologne, where he’s competing in the triathlon and blogging and photographing all week.

Imagine signing up at the last minute to do a triathlon for the first time in your life: Swim, bike and run, all in a single competition. Imagine being a good swimmer, yet needing buy a carbon-fibre racing bike for $2,000. And training for the run just a couple of times just one week before the Games. And then taking the gold.

Well, that’s exactly what happened to 40-year old Carsten (pictured, right, sans shirt) of Copenhagen, who won the 40-44 age group in the sprint distance. He called himself a “triathlon virgin.” Here he is pictured with team-mate Ludo who also won a gold. 

So far, Germany, quite naturally being the biggest team, has earned the most medals, followed by the US and with a good number of victorious Swiss women. Must be all that wonderful excercize climbing the Alps.

In town, what is probably the gayest street here has been made even gayer. It’s called the Walk of Fame and has a red carpet all the way along. Definitely a great catwalk for anyone showing off their medal–or themselves for that matter!