Olympic diver is openly gay

Australian diver Matthew Mitcham, 20, is going to Beijing to compete in the Summer Olympics and he is going as an openly gay man. Mitcham revealed his sexuality in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.

Mitcham is very talented and has a serious shot at a medal in the 10-meter platform. He won the USA Diving Grand Prix in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on May 11. He is a former trampoline athlete with a silver piercing in his tongue and a reputation as a free spirit (to make money he would dive from 42 feet up for crowds). It all came together in Ft. Lauderdale.

Mitcham’s story reads like that of a struggling young man who has put his life together with the help of athletics. I know whom I’ll be rooting for in Beijing.

Having a gay Olympic diver is not new, but having an out one is not common. Multi-gold medalist Greg Louganis came out after his Olympic career ended in 1988. American David Pilcher competed while openly gay at Syndey in 2000. In the 2004 Athens Games, Outsports was able to document 11 openly gay and lesbian athletes.

Via outsports.com