Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe confirms he is gay in Parkinson interview
Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe has revealed that he is gay in an interview on Australian television.
The announcement confirms previous reports that the swimmer had come out in an interview with Sir Michael Parkinson on Channel 10.
![Ian Thorpe]()
![Sir Michael Parkinson]()
The athlete, who is Australia's most decorated swimmer with five Olympic gold medals, told Parkinson: "I've thought about this for a long time. I'm not straight."
Thorpe had previously denied that he was gay, writing in his 2012 autobiography This Is Me that he was heterosexual.
Having been treated for depression earlier this year, Thorpe revealed that he has only felt able to talk honestly about his sexuality in the last fortnight.
"I've wanted to [come out] for some time but I couldn't. I didn't feel as though I could," he said. "What happened was I felt the lie had become so big that I didn't want people to question my integrity."
He added: "Part of me didn't know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay. [Now] I am telling the world that I am."
Fellow Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice showed her support for Thorpe, tweeting that he "is, and always will be, a superstar".
Thorpe is the winner of nine Olympic medals, 10 Commonwealth Games titles and 13 World titles.
Source
Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe has revealed that he is gay in an interview on Australian television.
The announcement confirms previous reports that the swimmer had come out in an interview with Sir Michael Parkinson on Channel 10.
The athlete, who is Australia's most decorated swimmer with five Olympic gold medals, told Parkinson: "I've thought about this for a long time. I'm not straight."
Thorpe had previously denied that he was gay, writing in his 2012 autobiography This Is Me that he was heterosexual.
Having been treated for depression earlier this year, Thorpe revealed that he has only felt able to talk honestly about his sexuality in the last fortnight.
"I've wanted to [come out] for some time but I couldn't. I didn't feel as though I could," he said. "What happened was I felt the lie had become so big that I didn't want people to question my integrity."
He added: "Part of me didn't know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay. [Now] I am telling the world that I am."
Fellow Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice showed her support for Thorpe, tweeting that he "is, and always will be, a superstar".
Thorpe is the winner of nine Olympic medals, 10 Commonwealth Games titles and 13 World titles.
Source