On Tuesday, 2016 Olympic hopeful Tom Bosworth came out as gay in an interview with the BBC, becoming Great Britain’s first professional track and field athlete to do so.
“To my family and friends this is no surprise, but I felt now was the right time to speak publicly about this,” Bosworth said.
The 25-year-old spoke to Victoria Derbyshire about both the support he’s received from his teammates since he came out to them in recent months and the abuse he faced in years past from schoolmates who suspected he was gay.
“A group of lads used to gang up on me and the worst episode came when they smashed my head through a window after a run-in,” Bosworth remembered. “I decided not to tell anyone about it … It was a decade ago, so I'd like to think that things have moved on a lot since then, even in schools, and that kids are more tolerant these days. "
Bosworth currently holds three British race walking records. He explained that by coming out now, he hopes that the spotlight will be on his athletic feats and not his sexual orientation come Rio next summer.
“By keeping your true self a secret, it could play on your mind and for any athlete that could turn into a distraction,” he said. “I can only speak from my experience but I found it a relief to be open with my friends, family and teammates … I just hope that the more sportsmen and sportswomen who come out, the more sport will catch up with the real world.”
“Hopefully in two or three years' time, coming out won't be a news story,” he added.
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