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British Olympic Hopeful Tom Bosworth Comes Out
"To speak out about this, being a sportsman, it's still news unfortunately," he said in an interview with the BBC.
In an interview with BBC's Victoria Derbyshire, British track athlete Tom Bosworth spoke publicly for the first time about his sexuality. His friends, family, and teammates have known for years, he said, adding that he has been in a happy relationship for the last four and a half years. The 25-year-old race walker currently holds three British Records and, with his sights set on Rio for the 2016 Olympics, is the first openly gay British Track and Field athlete. Therefore his decision to come out now, he says, is so that any public reaction can play out well ahead of the Olympic Games.
In the interview, which can be watched on BBC Sport, Bosworth paid tribute to British diver Tom Daley, who came out in 2013 and is now engaged to Oscar-winning activist Dustin Lance Black, as proof that being openly gay in athletics is possible. When questioned about why he felt the need to come out, Bosworth said:
"To speak about this, being a sportsman, it's still news unfortunately."
He said that he wants to "give the positive message that you can succeed in sport," adding:
"I definitely don't want ot just be known as the gay Track and Field athlete. I want to go and win medals, I want to go and compete at major championships and become an Olympian. But definitely, this is me, and I feel that I need to help and support other people."
Watch the candid interview on BBC Sport.
